THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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A  RECORD  OP  COLLEGE,  FIELD,  AND  PRISON. 


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KNIGHTLY    SOLDIER: 

A   BIOGRAPHY 

OF 

MAJOR  HENRY  WARD  CAMP, 

TENTH    CONN.    VOLS. 
BY 

CHAPLAIN  H.  CLAY  TRUMBULL. 


BOSTON: 
NICHOLS     AND     NOYES. 

NEW  YORK:    OLIVER    S.FELT. 

1865. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1805,  by 

NICHOLS    &   NOYES> 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 


STEREOTYPED  BY  C.  J.  I'ETEKS  <fc  SON.  BOSTON. 


PRESS  OP  GEO.  C.  RAND  <fc  AVERT. 


&o  % 

TO   WHOSP. 
JUDICIOUS  TRA1MXG  ASD  EARNEST  PRATXB.1 

HENRY     CAMP 

OWED    SO    MUCH,    AND    WHOM    HE    LOVED    SO    DXABLY, 

This  Tribute  of  Affection 

IS  DEDICATED  IK  TENDEREST  SYMPATHY. 


i 


TIIIS  book  is  not  an  attempt  to  prove  that  Henry 
Camp  was  brave,  accomplished,  and  upright  in  all 
the  course  of  his  beautiful  life  here,  or  that  he  was 
fully  prepared  for  the  future  to  which  God  BO  early 
called  him.  It  simply  shows  him  as  he  was,  group- 
ing the  memorial  sketches  of  those  who  knew  him 
best  in  the  various  relations  of  student,  soldier,  and 
Christian;  with  copious  extracts  from  his  own  let- 
ters, written  in  all  the  freedom  of  family  correspond- 
ence. 

It  was  undertaken  in  behalf  of  his  home  friends, 
college-mates,  and  army  comrades,  who  are  sure  to 
prize  whatever  concerns  his  record,  or  honors  his 
memory.  Yet,  it  is  believed,  it  will  have  special 
value  to  many  who,  without  knowing  him,  were  his 
campaign  associates  in  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia, 
and  who  here  find  narrated  the  more  striking  inci- 
dents of  their  own  army  experience.  Nor  can  any 
reader  fail  to  admire  his  glowing  details  of  personal 

v 

459996 


VI  PREFACE. 

adventure,  and  his  graphic  description  of  events  na- 
tional in  scope  and  of  historic  significance. 

One  thing  demands  explanation.  The  relations 
between  the  compiler  and  the  subject  of  this  volume 
were  of  peculiar  and  rarest  intimacy.  The  two 
were,  during  the  years  chiefly  considered  in  this 
record,  united  in  well-nigh  perfect  oneness.  To 
have  left  out  all  the  references  to  Henry  Camp's 
friend,  of  whom  almost  every  page  in  his  later  writ- 
ings made  mention,  would  have  been  impossible 
without  destroying  the  fullness  and  coherence  of 
the  narrative,  and  distorting  the  picture  of  army 
life  to  the  eyes  of  those  familiar  with  the  seldom- 
equalled  attachment  of  the  friends  to  each  other. 
Very  much  of  this  nature  was  stricken  from  the 
record,  —  all  indeed  that  could  be  with  seeming 
propriety.  It  is  hoped  that  what  remains  will  be 
ascribed  to  the  affectionate  partiality  of  him  who 
has  fallen,  and  not  to  any  want  of  good  taste  on  the 
part  of  one  who  was  loved  by  and  who  mourns  him. 

II.  C.  T. 
RICHMOND,  VA.,  April  21,  1805. 


CHAPTER    I. 

CHILDHOOD  AND  SCHOOLDAYS. 

Romance  of  the  War  with  Rebellion  —  Henry  Camp's  Parentage  and 
Boyhood  —  Ills  Sensitive  Conscience  —  Responsibility  for  Baby 
Sister  —  Child  Sermons  —  Infant  Sabbath  School  —  High-school 
Experiences  — S.  M.  Capron's  Tribute*— Passes  Examination  for 
College  —  A  Year  at  Home  —  Enters  Yale  —  Professes  Christ  — 
Letter  from  Rev.  Dr.  Bushnell  .  13 


CHAPTER  II. 

COLLEGE  LIFE. 

Boating  —  University  Races  of  1859  —  Reflex  Influence  of  a  Hard 
Struggle  —  A  Ring  won  and  worn  —  Yale  and  Harvard  Oarsmen 
in  the  Army  —  Chaplain  Twichell's  Sketch  of  the  Worcester 
Regatta  —  Testimony  of  College  Comrades  —  An  Unbelieving 
Classmate  led  to  Christ  —  Contribution  from  E.  G.  Holdeu  .  23 


CHAPTER  III. 

TEACHER  —  LAW-STUDENT  —  SOLDIER. 

Teaches   at   East   Hartford  —  War-clouds  —  Letter  to   Arrogant 
Southerner  —  Commences  Study  of  Law  —  Self-denial  in  not 


VHI  CONTENTS. 

enlisting  on  First  Call  — Joins  City  Guard  — Funeral  of  Gen.  Lyon 
—  Commissioned  in  Tenth  Conn.  —  Farewell  Speech  at  Asylum- 
Hill  Sabbath  School  — Joins  Regiment  at  Annapolis  —  Open-air 
Prayer  Meeting  —  Camp  Varieties  —  Foster's  Brigade  —  The 
Burnside  Expedition  —  First  Sabbath  at  Sea  —  Trials  on  the 
"  Swash  "  —  "  City  of  New  York  "  wrecked  —  A  Fair  Face  and  a 
Brave  Heart  .....' 43 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ROANOKE  AND  NEWBERNE. 

Advance  up  Pamlico  Sound  —  The  Night  before  the  Fight  — Battle 
of  Roanoke  Island  —  The  First  Wounded  —  On  Special  Duty — 
Crying  a  Cry  out  —  Again  on  Transports  —  Kerosene  Water  — 
Energetic  Cockroaches  —  Courage  in  Dark  Days  — Always  knight- 
ly—  Sunset  at  Sea —  Poetry  —  Landing  at  Slocum's  Creek  —  Tha 
Battle  of  Newbcrne  —  Victory  —  The  City  entered  —  Guard  Duty 
—  Sympathy  with  Enlisted  Men  —  Picket  Life  —  An  Alarm  —  Bold 
Scouting  —  Love  of  Home  —  Volunteering  for  Special  Service  — 
Living  and  Dying  to  a  Purpose 50 


CHAPTER  V. 

CAMP-LIFE  AND  CAMPAIGNING. 

Incidents  among'the  Contrabands  —  Fugitives  at  the  Picket-line  — 
"  Dcy  sell  Ebry  One  "  —  Pet  Deviltry  of  the  South  —  Praying  for 
Liberty  —  Fighting  for  Government  —  Proficiency  in  Stealing  — 
Letters  on  Personal  Religion  to  a  Classmate  —  In  Hospital  — 
Rumors  of  a  Move  —  New  Brigade  —  Capt.  Vicars's  Memoir  — 
Longings  for  a  Chum  —  Promotion  —  The  Adjutant's  First  "  Con- 
solidated "—A  New  Chaplain  —  The  Two  Friends  —  Forty-fourth 
Mass.  Regiment — Tarboro' Scout  —  Evening  Skirmish  at  Little 
Creek  — Halt  at  Williamston  —  Song  from  the  Jack  Tars— Pa- 
triotism thawed  out— Foraging  —  Home  Relics  protected — A 
Southern  Swamp  —  John  Brown  Chorus  —  Wayside  Prayer  — 
First  Visit  Home  —  Goldsboro'  Raid  —  A  New  Disappointment — 
Fredericksburg  Failure 83 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  FIRST  CHARLESTON  EXPEDITION. 

New  Expedition  —  Sail  to  Port  Royal  —  Camp  at  St.  Helena  —  Bat- 
talion Drill  —  Sabbath-school  Teaching  —  Oriental  Scenery  —  The 
Twins  —  Wine  and  Cards — Seabrook  Island  —  Exciting  Debark- 
ation and  Advance  —  A  Skirmish  —  Camping  in  the  Rain —  Scout- 
ing—  First  Attack  on  Charleston — Chafing  at  Inaction  —  Out- 
post Life  —Was  the  Behemoth  a  Mosquito  ?  —  Prayer-meeting  in 
the  Woods  — Another  Separation — Loneliness — Work  for  Christ 

—  College-mutes  —  Excursions  —  Beauties  of  the  Seabrook  Place 

—  (jen.  Stevenson's  Reconnoissance  —  Under  Fire  —  Dodging  Bul- 
lets —  Artillery  Duel—  Enjoyable  Excitement  of  Danger  — Com. 
Rodgers  —  Court  Martial 112 

CHAPTER  VII. 

JAMES  ISLAND  AND  FORT  WAGNER. 

A  New  Campaign — Chowder  Party — Orders  for  a  More  —  Prayer- 
meeting  on  Shipboard  —  Landing  at  James  Island  —  Watching 
Distant  Battle  —  An  Evening  Advance  —  Bewilderment  on  the 
Picket-line  —  More  Mosquitoes  —  A  Morning  Nap  —  Advantages 
of  a  Short  March  to  the  Battle-field  —  Second  Battle  of  James 
Island — Attack  on  the  "  Pawnee  " —  Taking  to  the  Woods  —  Capt. 
Rockwell's  Battery  — Col.  Shaw's  (54th  Mass.)  Regiment  — To 
Morris  Island  —  Grand  Bombardment  —  Second  Assault  on  Wag- 
ner—  Night  Battle-scene  —  Gen.  Gillmore  —  Stopping  Stragglers 

—  A  Wail  of  Agony  — Defeat  —  Morning  after  the  Battle  — Flag 
of  Truce  —Visit  to  the  Field  —  Treachery  —  The  Friends  are  Pris- 
oners—  Fort  Sumtep — Charleston  Jail 137 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CHARLESTON  AND   COLUMBIA  —  PRISON  LIFE  AND 
ESCAPE. 

Prison  Sensations  —  The  Friends  separated  —  Gloomy  Forebodings 
—  Removal  to  Columbia — Affectionate  Letter —  Re-union  —  Pris- 
on Occupations —  "De  Mates"  —  Thought  ruled  out  —  Chaplain 


CONTENTS. 

released  —  Sabbath-evening  Reflections—  Columbia  and  Ilartford 

—  Longings  for  Liberty  —  Plan  of  Escape  —  Baggage  —  Parched 
Corn  —  Lay  Figures  —  Moments  of  Waiting  —  Capt.  Chamberlain 

—  Ivanhoe  in  the  Kitchen  —  Corporal  "Bull  Head"  —  Capt.  Senn 

—  Nervous  "Work  —  Out  and  Off — Joy  In    Freedom — Trestle 
Walking  —  Refreshing  Sleep  —  Fear  of  Detection  — A  Long  Way 
Round  —  Rain  and  Darkness  —  Spectral  Ox-team  —  Blind  Guide- 
posts —  A  Wet  Lodging  —  The  Lazy  Farmer  —  Kindness  to  Ani- 
mals—  Fire  on  the  Hillside — Freshet  —  A  Lost  Day — Terror 
to  Small  Boys  —  A  December  Bath — Cheerless  Wakenings  — 
Sabbath  of  Hope  —  An  Unwelcome  Attendant  —  Discovered  — 
Prisoners  once  more  —  Child's  Opinion  of  Yankees  —  Politics  — 
Soldiers'  Graves  —  A  Well-laden  Table  well  cleared  —  Gathering 
Broom-straw  —  Soft  Pillow  —  Tied  to  the  Saddle  —  Slip  'twixtthe 
eup   and   the  lip  —  Chesterville  —Yankee  Menagerie  —  McDon- 
nell the  Brute  —  Attempted  Conversion— Worth  of  a  Good  Moth- 
er— Whittling—  Lost  Brother  —  Pepper-wash  after  a  Flogging  — 
Genuine  Rebels  —  Again  in  Columbia  —  Close  Confinement — Sat- 
isfaction in  Effort  —  Box  from  Home  .       .       159 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LIBBY  PRISON  — HOME  — CAMP  PAROLE. 

The  Tenth  Regiment  —  Fears  lest  it  should  Fight  —  No  Rest  in 
Prison— Exchange  Rumors  —  Clouds  —  Egg-gatherers  of  the  Ork- 
neys—  New  Escape  Plans — Tunneling — Discovery — Removal 
to  Richmond  —  Ride  through  Rebeldom  —  A  Night  at  Petersburg 

—  $300  for  a  Hack  —  Life  at  the  Libby — Rations  —  Cooking  — 
Opening  Boxes  —  Dead  Lights  —  Gloom  —  Boat  up!  — Reading 
the  List  —  Hamp  or  Camp  —  Sensations  of  Freedom  —  Stewart 
Nos.  1  and  2  — Leaving  the  Libby  — Sick  Privates— The  Old  Flag 

—  The  Regiment  leaves  St.  Augustine  —  Meeting  of  the  Friends 

— Annapolis  —  Privileges  of  Freedom 207 


CHAPTER  X. 

CAMPAIGNING  WITH  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  JAMES. 

The  Tenth  Moves  to  the  Front  —  Unselfish  Anxiety—  Exchanged  - 
A  Hasty  Leave— Work  of  the  Regiment  — Joyful  Re-union- 


CONTENTS.  XI 

Ride  to  the  Front  —  Disaster  —  Search  for  a  Corps  —  Glad  Greet- 
ing—Covering a  Retreat —  Flying  Artillery — Calculating  an, 
Aim  — A  Long  Campaign  —  A  Good  Correspondent  —  Love  of 
Home  —  From  Prayer  to  Fighting  — Picket  skirmish  —  A  Night 
of  Peril  —  Explosive  Bullets  —  Volleys  better  than  Sharp-shoot- 
ing—  Bermuda  Hundred  —  Major  Trumbull's  Battery —  Dread  of 
Inaction  —  Cold  Harbor — Picket  Duty  —  Danger  on  the  Vidette 
Line  —  Sociiible  Pickets  —  Night  Evacuation  —  Listening  —  Ex- 
citing Advance  —  Capture  of  Prisoners  —  Hewlett's  Redoubt  — 
Naval  Gunnery  —  The  White  Flag  — Another  Retreat  Covered  — 
Letter-writing  under  Difficulties  —  Severe  Shelling  —  Moment  of 
Expectation— Under-estimated  Descriptive  Powers  .  .  -J2O 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DEEP  BOTTOM  —  STRAWBERRY  PLAINS  — DEEP  BUN. 

The  .Tames  crossed  —  Establishing  Pickets  by  Night  —  Columbia 
Acquaintances  —  Another  Shelling — Hot  Days — Stormy  Nights 

—  Narrow  Escape  —  Uniform  Cheerfulness — Strawberry  Plains 

—  In  Reserve  —  Dangers  of  the  Rear  —  Exposed  Picket-line  — 
Anxious  Night  —  Second  Corps  Advance  —  A  Check  —  Brave 
Commander  —  Successful  Flanking  —  ludian  Warfare  —  Military 
Execution— A  Week's  Hard  Fighting  — Falling  Back  — Casual- 
ties in  the  Tenth  Conn.  —  Night  Marching  and  Countermarch- 
ing   249 


CHAPTER  XII. 

IN  THE  PETERSBURG  TRENCHES. 

Col.  Plaisted  again  in  Command — Move  from  Deep  Bottom  —  Night- 
marching —  Waiting  at  the  Pontoon  —  Cheerless  Bivouac  —  Pe- 
tersburg in  Sight  —  Deserted  Negro  Camp  —  Burro  wing  for  Quar- 
ters—  Dangerous  Locality  —  Mortar-shelling  by  Night  —  Deadly 
Fascination  —  Weeks  of  Peril  —  Snapshooting  in  the  Trenches 
—  The  Courageous  Coffee-bearer— Ricochet  Shot  —  Presence  of 
Death  —  Incidents  of  Picketing  —  The  Wounded  Vidette  —  Socia- 
bility of  Enemies  —  More  Snapshooting  —  A  Miss  as  good  as  a 
Mile  —  Rejoicing  over  Atlanta  —  Shotted  Salutes  —  Railroad 
Target  —  Longings  for  Rest  —  Promotion  —  Withdrawal  from 
Trenches  — Halt  at  the  Rear  .  ....  281 


XII  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LIFE  AND  DEATH  BEFORE  RICHMOND. 

Petersburg  to  Deep  Bottom  —  Tedious  March  —  Gloomy  Day-dawn 

—  Battle  of  Newmarket  Heights  —  Gen.  Terry's  Approach  to 
Richmond  —  Days  of  Activity  and  Privation  — Laurel-Hill  Skir- 
mish —  Happy  Prisoner  —  Poor  Families  —  Reluctant  Rebel  —  The 
Treasured  Flag — Old  Men  leave  the  Regiment —  Flag  of  Truce- 
Wayside  Prayer- meeting — Threatened  Battle  —  Signs  of  a  Re- 
treat—  Gen.  Kautz's    Flank    turned  —  Crash  of  Battle  —  The 
wounded  Skirmisher — Flying  Infantry  —  Brave  Soldiers  —  Vic- 
tory—  Even  Terms  —  Seen  through  the  Clouds  —  New  Move  — 
Out  and  In  again  —  Last  Night  of  Life  — The  Death  Morning  — 
Darbytown  Road  —  Brilliant  Scene  —  Opening  Battle  —  Prepar- 
ing for  an  Assault  —  Cheerful  among  the  Desponding  —  True 
Heroism  — Good-bye  —  Deadly  Race  —  The  Final  Charge  — "I  do 
Believe"  —  The  Death  shot  — Last  Look  at  the  Flag  — Left  on 
the  Field — Heartless  Foes  —  Flag  of  Truce  —  Recovery  of  Body 

—  Generosity  .  ........       296 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

Body  borne  Home  —  Funeral  Services  —  Testimony  of  Col.  Otis  —  of 
Gen.  Hawley — of  "Daily  Post"  —  of  "Evening  Press"  —  Letter 
from  John  Hooker,  Esq.  —  Letter  from  Gen.  Plaisted  —  Close  of 
the  Record  —  From  the  Battle-field  to  Glory  ...  319 


KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 


CHAPTER    I. 

CHILDHOOD  AND   SCHOOLDAYS. 

I  HE  short  lives  of  some  who  have  fallen  on  the 
field  of  the  new  American  conflict  contained 
more  of  romantic  adventure  and  of  heroic  daring 
than  the  material  of  which  the  novelists  and  the  poets  of 
our  language  have  wrought  their  most  attractive  narratives 
during  the  present  century. 

Another  Cooper  could  find  a  Leather  Stocking  and  a 
Harvey  Birch  in  almost  every  camp  of  our  army.  Another 
Tennyson  could  sing  of  exploits  of  American  battalions 
which  would  pale  the  brilliancy  of  the  charge  of  the  Light 
Brigade.  Dumas  could  bring  out  of  the  truth  from  An- 
dersonville  and  the  Libby  such  tales  of  horror  as  would 
commonplace  the  ghastliest  stories  of  the  French  Bastile. 

The  familiar,  every-day  home  letters  of  young  officers  of 
culture  and  of  nobleness,  who  have  had  widest  experience 

13 


14  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

in  campaigning,  and  greatest  vicissitudes  of  fortune  in  this 
now-closing  war,  furnish  a  variety  of  description  and  inci- 
dent, possessing  permanent  interest  even  to  those  who  have 
no  special  knowledge  of  the  writers.  To  present  such 
material  from  the  record  of  one  of  whom  his  brigade-com- 
mander said,  "  Our  cause  cannot  boast  a  nobler  martyr," 
and  his  colonel,  that  "  the  service  has  never  suffered  a 
heavier  loss  in  an  officer  of  his  grade,"  is  the  purpose  of 
this  volume. 

HENRY  WARD  CAMP,  son  of  Rev.  Henry  B. 
Camp  and  Cornelia  L.  Baldwin,  was  born  February  4th, 
1839,  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  his  father  —  formerly 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Bradford  —  then  resided  as  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  American  Asylum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb. 

To  the  judicious  training  and  Christian  faithfulness  of 
his  parents,  young  Camp  was  indebted  for  the  preservation 
of  his  rare  symmetry  of  mental  and  moral  character,  and 
for  its  full  and  delightful  development.  Unusually  gentle 
and  retiring,  even  for  a  child,  he  shunned  the  boisterous 
companionship  of  city  boys,  and  clung  to  his  home,  con- 
tented with  its  quiet  occupations  and  satisfied  in  its  enjoy- 
ments. Almost  unaided,  he  learned  to  read  at  four 
years  of  age,  and,  from  that  time  onward,  found  his  chief 
enjoyment  in  books.  His  love  of  reading  was  so  great, 
that,  after  he  had  devoured  all  the  children's  books  in  the 
house,  he  resorted  to  those  far  beyond  his  years.  He 


BOYHOOD.  15 

gained  an  excellent  knowledge  of  history  before  taking  it 
up  as  a  study,  and  was  ever  fond  of  books  of  travel.  Too 
close  devotion  to  reading,  with  too  little  out-door  exercise, 
began  to  affect  his  head  seriously  ;  and  he  was  so  troubled 
by  somnambulism  that,  during  his  eighth  year,  he  was  sent 
to  Durham  to  spend  some  time  with  his  grandfather  on  a 
farm,  where  books  were  entirely  forbidden  him.  This  rest 
to  his  brain,  with  the  exercise  and  other  advantages  of 
country  life,  quite  re-established  his  health  ;  and,  after  a  few 
months,  he  returned  re-invigorated  to  his  home. 

One  of  the  earliest  observed  peculiarities  of  young 
Camp's  character  was  the  exquisite  sensitiveness  of  his 
conscience.  He  shrunk  from  every  appearance  of  evil, 
and  was  oppressed  by  a  fear  of  doing  wrong.  When  he 
was  five  years  old,  a  sister  was  born  to  him.  As  he  first 
looked  at  the  baby  treasure,  with  childish  joy  and  wcnder- 
ment,  a  shade  of  thought  came  over  his  face,  and  he  went 
alone  from  his  mother's  room.  On  his  return,  his  mother 
asked  him  where  he  had  been.  "  I've  been,  mamma,"  he 
said,  "  to  pray  to  God  that  I  may  never  hurt  the  soul  of 
dear  little  sister."  Although  too  young  to  have  a  con- 
sciousness of  responsibility  for  others,  the  incident  is  in 
keeping  with  his  whole  course  in  boyhood. 

A  year  later,  he  exercised  himself  in  writing  a  little  book 
of  sermons,  taking  a  text,  and  making  on  it  brief  common'.*; 
as  striking  and  original  as  the  employment  was  unique  for 
a  boy  of  his  years.  In  looking  over  the  manuscript,  his 


16  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

good  mother  observed  frequent  blanks  where  the  name  of 
God  should  appear.  Inquiring  the  reason  of  these  omis- 
sions, Henry  informed  her  that  he  had  feared  he  was  not 
feeling  just  right  while  he  was  writing,  and,  lest  he  should 
take  the  name  of  God  in  vain  by  using  it  then,  he  had  left 
the  blanks  in  its  stead.  The  strictest  letter  of  the  Jewish 
law  could  scarcely  exact  more  reverent  use  of  the  ineffable 
name  of  Jehovah  than  was  demanded  by  the  tender  con- 
science of  this  pure-minded  boy. 

His  fear  of  transgressing  induced  habits  of  self-examina- 
tion which  gave  him  no  little  discomfort.  Recognizing  the 
standard  of  absolute  right,  his  rigid  scrutiny  of  motive  and 
purpose,  with  his  discriminating  review  of  each  outward 
act,  revealed  to  him  his  imperfections  of  thought  or  deed  ; 
and,  as  a  consequence,  he  sometimes  suffered  keenly  from 
unmerited  self-reproach.  At  five  years  old,  he  joined  the 
Sabbath-school  infant-class  of  the  Centre  Church  (Rev. 
Dr.  Hawes).  His  teacher  there  was  Mrs.  Roswell  Brown, 
who  has  held  the  same  position  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Writing  little  notes  to  her,  young  Camp  said  in  more  than 
one,  with  his  uniform  sensitiveness,  "  I  am  sometimes 
afraid  I  shall  love  you  better  than  I  do  my  mother.  I 
don't  think  I  do,  but  I  am  afraid  that  I  shall.  "  "  Mrs. 
Brown, "  he  said,  one  Sabbath  morning,  as  he  took  his 
place  by  her  side,  "  I  am  afraid  I  did  wrong  last  Sabbath. 
While  you  were  talking  to  us  all,  I  wrote  my  sister  Cor- 
nelia's name  with  my  finger  on  the  seat.  I  didn't  think  it 


SCHOOLDAYS.  17 

was  wrong  then ;  but  I've  thought  it  was,  since,  and  I've 
wanted  to  tell  you  of  it."  No  misdeed  of  his  during  his 
four-years'  stay  in  that  infant-class  was  greater  than  the 
one  thus  candidly  confessed.  His  teacher  there  says  of 
him,  with  warmth,  "  I  had  nearly  four  hundred  and  fifty 
children  under  my  care  in  that  room,  but  never  but  one 
Henry  Camp." 

Yet,  in  spite  of  his  quickly-reminding  and  often-accusing 
conscience,  Henry  Camp  was  of  cheerful  temperament,  and 
richly  enjoyed  life.  His  refined  sensitiveness  made  him 
only  more  lovely  to  others,  and  ho  was  the  light  of  a  happy 
home.  No  laugh  was  more  merry  than  Ids,  and  no  one 
did  more  than  he  to  provoke  a  laugh  at  every  proper  time. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  weeks  at  the  district  school, 
ho  studied  at  home  until  he  was  ten  years  old.  In  1849  ho 
entered  the  Hartford  Public  High  School,  which  he  attended 
for  six  years.  It  was  there  that  he  first  mingled  actively 
with  his  fellows.  Although  he  did  not  seek  to  lead,  ho 
found  himself  ahead.  His  comrades  looked  up  to  him. 
In  the  recitation-room,  the  play-ground,  and  the  gymnasi- 
um, he  was  a  pattern.  Loving  outdoor  sports  and  athletic 
exercises,  he  practised  and  strengthened  his  muscular  pow- 
ers until  his  form  and  figure  were  a  type  of  his  compacted 
and  well-rounded  intellectual  development. 

S.  M.  Capron,  one  of  his  high-school  teachers,  says  of 
him,  "  There  was  a  charm  about  him  even  then,  which 

attracted  all  who  knew  him.     I  never  had  a  pupil  who 
a 


18  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

possessed  a  purer  character,  or  more  completely  won  the 
respect  and  even  admiration  of  his  teachers.  He  despised 
every  thing  mean,  every  thing  vulgar ;  and  his  generosity 
and  manliness  in  his  intercourse  with  other  boys  made  him 
a  general  favorite  among  them.  He  was  remarkably 
truthful  also,  and  this,  never  from  a  fear  of  consequences, 
but  with  a  spontaneity  which  showed  that  truth  was  at  the 
foundation  of  his  character.  As  a  scholar  he  was  very 
faithful,  accurate,  and  prompt  in  his  recitations ;  especially 
copious  and  rich  in  his  choice  of  words ;  of  superior  talent 
as  a  writer.  No  one  stood  above  him  in  bis  classes  j  and 
he  took  some  prizes,  while  in  the  school,  for  English  composi- 
tion and  other  exercises.  But  it  was  chiefly  his\  uncom- 
mon nobleness  of  character  which  made  him  conspicuous 
then,  as  in  later  years." 

In  the  summer  of  1855,  Camp  passed  examination  for 
admission  to  Yale,  and  connected  himself  with  the  Brothers' 
Society.  But  as  he  was  yet  only  sixteen,  and  had  been  so 
long  in  seldom  intermitted  study,  his  judicious  parents 
strongly  advised  his  waiting  another  year  before  entering 
on  his  collegiate  course.  The  disappointment  to  him  was 
severe,  yet  he  yielded  gracefully,  as  always,  to  the  judgment 
of  his  parents,  and  for  a  twelvemonth  occupied  himself  in 
out-door  exercise,  in  attention  to  pencil-sketching,  and  in 
the  study  of  French  and  German.  He  joined  the  fresh- 
man class  of  Yale,  in  September,  1856.  Then  commenced 
his  life  away  from  the  home  he  had  so  dearly  loved,  and  in 


CONVERSION.  19 

the  possession  of  which  he  had  been  so  favored.  Then, 
first,  he  was  obliged  to  forego  the  privilege  of  speaking  in 
all  freedom  of  the  experiences  of  each  day  to  those  whose 
sympathy  and  affection  were  not  to  be  doubted. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  missing  of  home  confidences,  with  the 
accruing  sense  of  personal  loneliness  in  a  crowd  of  compar- 
ative strangers,  that,  soon  after  he  entered  college,  caused 
thoughts  to  centre,  as  never  before,  on  his  need  of  fellow- 
ship with  a  loving  and  sympathizing  Saviour,  who  alone 
could  fully  understand  him.  He  had  long  been  a  prayer- 
ful, reverent  worshipper  of  God,  approaching  him  in  con- 
scious need,  in  reliance  on  the  one  Mediator ;  and  his  life 
had  for  years  given  delightful  evidence  of  the  power  of 
grace  in  his  inner  being  :  but  not  until  now  did  he  make 
open  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus  as  his  Saviour.  Just 
when  his  heart  was  transformed  into  Christ's  imago  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  is  known  only  to  the  Omniscient  one. 
During  his  spring  vacation,  in  May,  1857,  he  connected 
himself  with  the  North  Congregational  Church  at  Hartford, 
of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bushnell  was  pastor.  That  pastor's 
counsel  he  had  often  sought,  apd  to  him  he  had  confided 
his  doubts  and  fears.  Of  Henry  Camp  as  an  inquirer 
concerning  divine  truth,  and  as  he  showed  himself  before 
and  later,  his  good  pastor  writes  thus  in  glowing 
eulogy :  — 


20  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

LETTER  FROM   THE   REV.    DR.    BUSHNELL. 

HARTFORD,  Nov.  7, 1864. 
REV.  H.  C.  TRUMBULL. 

MY  DEAR  SIR,  —  I  most  deeply  regret  that  I  cannot  do 
more  to  help  you  in  your  difficult  but  laudable  endeavor 
to  prepare  a  memorial  for  our  young  friend,  Major  Camp. 
It  is  my  great  misfortune  that  I  do  not  remember  facts  and 
conversations  so  as  to  be  able  to  report  them.  I  only  remem- 
ber impressions,  or  resulting  estimates  and  opinions;  and 
these  will  give  you  little  help  in  the  sketching  or  living  pre- 
sentation of  a  character. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  know  this  young  patriot  and  sol- 
dier from  his  childhood  up.  The  freshly  vigorous,  wonderfully 
lustrous,  unsoiled  look  he  bore  in  his  childhood,  made  it  con- 
sciously a  kind  of  pleasure  to  pass  him,  or  catch  the  sight  of 
his  face  in  the  street.  I  do  not  recall  ever  having  had  such 
an  impression,  or  one  so  captivating  for  its  moral  beauty, 
from  any  other  child.  And  it  was  just  as  great  a  satisfaction 
to  see  him  grow  as  it  was  to  see  him.  I  used  to  watch  the 
progress  of  his  lengthening  form  as  I  passed  him,  saying  in- 
wardly still,  "  Well,  thank  God,  it  is  the  beautiful  childhood 
that  is  growing,  and  not  he  that  is  outgrowing  his  childhood." 

The  noble  man-soul  was   evident  enough  in   the  child, 

O 

and  when  it  was  bodied  forth  in  his  tall,  massive,  especially 
manly  person,  it  was  scarcely  more  so.  Indeed,  the  real 
man  of  the  child  was  never  bodied  forth,  and  never  could 
be,  without  a  history  of  many  years,  such  as  we  fondly  hoped 
for  him,  but  shall  never  behold.  He  died,  in  fact,  with  his 
high,  bright  future  shut  up  in  him,  —  it  will  only  come  out 


DR.  BUSHNELL'S  LETTER.  21 

among  the  angels  of  God ;  and,  I  doubt  not,  will  make  a  really 
grand  figure  there.  Seldom  have  they  hailed  the  advent 
among  them,  I  think,  of  a  youth  whose  kinship,  and  peership 
and  hero-life  begun,  they  will  more  gladly  acknowledge. 
Indeed,  I  have  never  been  able  to  keep  it  out  of  my  mind, 
since  I  first  heard  of  his  death,  that  there  was  some  too  great 
aptness  in  him  for  a  place  among  these  couriers  and  squad- 
rons of  glory.  It  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  extravagance  to  say 
this,  but  I  know  not  how  otherwise  to  describe  real  impres- 
sions. He  was  such  a  man  as,  going  into  a  crowd  of  strangers, 
would  not  only  attract  general  attention  by  his  person,  by 
his  noble  figure  and  the  fine  classic  cut  of  his  features,  by  the 
cool,  clear  beaming  of  his  intelligence,  by  the.  visible  repose  of 
his  justice,  by  a  certain,  almost  superlative  sweetness  of  mod- 
esty ;  but  there  was,  above  all,  an  impression  of  intense  PURI- 
TY in  his  looks,  that  is  almost  never  seen  among  men,  and 
which  everybody  must  and  would  distinctly  feel. 

But  I  am  only  describing  here  what  others  felt  as  truly  as  I, 
and  could  describe,  if  they  would,  much  better  than  I ; 
though,  perhaps,  the  acquaintance  I  had  with  Henry's  interi- 
orly personal  character  and  struggles  in  the  matter  of  religion 
may  have  prepared  me  to  note  more  distinctly  than  some 
others  would  the  signs  outwardly  appearing.  He  came  to 
me  a  great  many  times,  from  his  early  childhood  onward, 
to  lay  open  his  troubles,  and  obtain  spiritual  direction.  My 
conviction,  from  the  very  first,  was,  that  I  had  nothing  to  do 
with  him  but  to  put  him  in  courage,  and  enable  him  to  say, 
"  I  believe.  "  I  never  saw  him  when  I  did  not  think  he  was 
a  Christian,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  he  ever  saw  himself 
early  enough  to  properly  think  otherwise.  Still  he  did  think 


22  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

otherwise  much  longer  than  I  wished.  The  difficulty  was  to 
get  him  away  from  the  tyranny  of  his  conscience.  It  was 
so  delicate  and  steadfast  and  strong,  that  his  faith  could  not 
get  foothold  to  stand.  I  feared  many  times  that  he  was 
going  to  be  preyed  upon  all  his  life  long  by  a  morbid  con- 
science. Still  there  was  a  manly  force  visible,  even  in  his 
childhood ;  and  I  contrived,  in  what  ways  I  could,  to  get  that 
kindled  by  a  free  inspiration.  To  get  him  under  impulse, 
afterwards,  for  the  war  was  not  half  as  difficult,  I  presume, 
after  the  point  of  my  endeavor  was  already  carried ;  for, 
having  now  become  a  soldier  of  Christ,  by  a  clear  and  con- 
scious devotion,  he  had  only  to  extend  that  soldiership  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven's  sake. 

As  far  as  he  was  concerned,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was 
not  worsted  when  he  fell ;  but  the  loss  to  his  country  and  his 
comrades  in  arms  was  certainly  great,  greater  than  most  of  us 
will  know.  Besides,  it  is  a  great  and  sore  disappointment  to 
us  all,  that  we  are  cut  off  abruptly  from  that  noble  and  high 
future  we  had  begun  to  hope  for  him.  Let  us  believe  that 
he  can  have  as  high  a  future  where  he  is,  and  resign  him 
gladly  to  it ! 

Sympathising  deeply  with  you  in  the  fall  of  your  heroic- 
brother  and  friend,  I  only  wish  I  could  help  you  more  effec- 
tively in  the  very  tender  office  you  have  undertaken. 

Wishing  you  all  the  success  which  the  beautiful  subject  of 
your  memoir  deserves, 

I  am  truly  yours, 

HORACE  BUSHNELL. 


CHAPTER    II. 

COLLEGE  LIFE. 

T  the  commencement  of  his  sophomore  year, 
Camp  became  especially  interested  in  boating; 
finding  pleasure  in  both  its  exercise  and  its  ex- 
citement. He  joined  the  Varuna  Boat-club,  and  was  soon 
as  prominent  there  for  his  strength,  skill,  and  energy  in 
the  use  of  the  oar,  as  he  was  distinguished  in  every  other 
pursuit  to  which,  at  any  time,  he  devoted  himself.  So 
well  established  was  his  reputation  in  this  line,  that  he 
was  one  of  the  picked  crew  to  represent  Yale  in  the  Uni- 
versity race,  at  the  Worcester  regatta,  in  July,  1859. 

That  regatta  was  an  era  in  his  life,  and  its  influence 
was  important  in  shaping  his  whole  future  course.  In  it 
he  first  realized  the  keen  enjoyment  of  exciting  endeavor, 
and  attained  the  satisfaction  of  accomplishing  something, 
through  the  straining  of  every  nerve,  in  a  contest  with  his 
fellows,  while  stayed  by  the  consciousness  that  he  held  the 
honor  of  those  whom  he  loved,  in  his  keeping.  He  gave 
himself  up  to  the  struggle,  both  in  preparation  and  perform- 
ance, with  bis  whole  heart  and  soul,  and  seemed  to  secure 

23 


24  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

thereby  a  relish  and  a  fitness  for  the  work  to  which  be  was 
subsequently  called  for  his  country.  A  plain  but  massive 
ring,  made  from  the  gold  of  the  regatta  prize,  he  wore  to 
the  last,  —  refusing  to  part  with  it,  even  at  an  extravagant 
price,  when  most  pinched  for  the  comforts  of  life  in  a 
Southern  prison ;  and  he  yielded  it  only  when  the  enemy 
wrenched  the  sword  from  his  grasp,  and  drew  the  ring 
from  his  finger  as  he  lay  in  the  helplessness  of  death  on 
the  field  of  his  last  battle. 

The  Yale  and  the  Harvard  crews  in  the  Worcester  races 
of  '59  were, 

Yale.  Harvard. 

H.  S.  Johnson  (stroke),  C.  Crowninshield  (stroke), 

Charles  T.  Stanton,  jr.,  W.  H.  Forbes, 

Henry  W.  Camp,  E.  G.  Abbott, 

Joseph  H.  Twichell,  H.  S.  Russell, 

Charles  H.  Owen,  J.  H.  Wales, 

Frederick  H.  Colton,  J.  H.  Ellison  (bow), 
Hezekiah  Watson  (cockswain), 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact,  that  every  man  of  the  Yale 
erew,  and  a  majority  of  those  from  Harvard,  were  subse- 
quently in  the  Union  army. 

Of  Johnson,  Camp  wrote,  when  he  met  him  in  North 
Carolina  on  the  staffof  Gen.  Terry,  "He  is  an  Aide,  ranking 
as  lieutenant, — very  nice  little  position,  —  left  the  sig- 
nal corps  some  time  since  to  take  it.  Signalling,  he  didn't 
like  at  all,  — no  fighting,  — slim  business,  — at  it  through 
the  whole  Peninsular  campaign,  and  was  heartily  sick  of  it. 


JIIS   ASSOCIATES.  25 

At  Fair  Oaks,  he  volunteered  on  some  general's  staff,  and 
went  in  —  lively  time  —  horse  shot  under  him.  That 
was  more  like  it."  Stanton,  as  captain  in  the  21st  C. 
V.,  was  wounded  at  Drury's  Bluff.  He  was  subse- 
quently commissioned  Lieut.-Col.,  but  was  mustered  out 
in  consequence  of  the  severity  of  his  wound.  Owen, 
Camp's  early  playmate,  school-fellow,  and  always  attached 
friend,  was  in  the  1st  Conn.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  later 
on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Robert  0.  Tyler,  receiving  at  Cold 
Harbor  a  wound,  the  effects  of  which  he  must  carry  to 
his  grave.  The  fair  and  stalwart  arms  of  Stanton  and 
Owen  were  often  admired  by  enthusiastic  boatmen  in  the 
days  of  college  racing.  The  right  arm  of  Stanton  and  the 
left  of  Owen  dropped  powerless  by  their  sides  in  the  same 
good  service  for  their  country.  For  three  years,  Twichell 
filled  with  rare  usefulness  and  acceptance,  the  chaplaincy 
of  the  2d  Regiment,  Excelsior  (Sickles')  Brigade.  Col- 
ton,  as  an  army  surgeon,  had  Owen  under  his  skilful 
charge  at  the  Douglass  Hospital,  in  Washington,  D.C. 
Watson  has  fought  long  and  nobly  as  colonel  of  the  143d 
Regiment,  N.  Y.  S.  V.  Crowningshield  and  Forbes  are,  at 
the  writing  of  this,  colonel  and  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
2d  Mass.  Cavalry,  the  former  command  of  the  lamented 
Gen.  Lowell.  Abbott  fell  at  Cedar  Mountain,  while 
Russell,  going  out  a  captain  in  the  2d  Mass.  Infantry, 
returned  a  colonel  of  a  colored  cavalry  regiment.  Surely 
a  noble  record  of  noble  men  ! 


26  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

The  following  graphic  and  thrilling  sketch  of  the  Wor- 
cester regatta  is  from  Twichell's  graceful  pen  :  — 

THE     WORCESTER    REGATTA. 

"  In  looking  back  to  Henry  Camp,  as  I  knew  him  in  col- 
lege, it  is  impossible  not  to  recall  his  singular  physical  beauty. 
The  memory  of  it  harmonizes  very  pleasantly  with  the  mem- 
ory of  his  beautiful  daily  life.  Each  became  the  other  so  well, 
while  they  were  joined,  that,  though  now  his  body  has  gone 
to  dust,  I  find,  while  musing  on  my  friend,  an  unusual  delight 
in  continuing  to  associate  them.  He  furnishes  a  perfect 
example  of  the  truth,  '  Virtus  pulchrior  e  pulchro  corpore 
veniens. '  His  handsome  face,  his  manly  bearing,  and  his 
glorious  strength,  made  that  gentleness  and  goodness  which 
won  our  love,  the  more  illustrious.  I  well  remember,  while 
in  college,  riding  out  one  day  with  a  classmate  of  his,  and 
passing  him,  as,  erect  and  light  of  foot,  he  strode  lustily  up 
a  long  hill,  and  the  enthusiasm  with  which  my  comrade  pro- 
nounced this  eulogy,  '  There's  Henry  Camp,  a  perfect  man, 
who  never  did  any  thing  to  hurt  his  body  or  soul ! '  That  was 
before  I  knew  him  well ;  for,  as  I  have  intimated,  we  were 
not  in  the  same  class :  but  what  I  heard  and  sawr  made  me 
so  desirous  of  a  better  acquaintance,  that  when,  in  the 
summer  of '59,  our  crew  was  made  up  for  the  college  regat- 
ta, to  take  place  at  "Worcester,  and  it  fell  out  that  he  was 
assigned  to  duty  in  the  boat,  as  No.  3,  while  I  was  No.  4,  I 
'  was  more  than  pleased. 

"  The  six  weeks  of  training  that  followed,  culminating  in 
the  gland  contest,  witnessed  by  far  the  greater  part  of  all  our 


THE    REGATTA.  27 

personal  intercourse,  for  after  that  time  our  paths  diverged. 
That  was  the  last  term  of  my  senior  year,  and  the  end 
was  not  far  off.  We  parted  on  commencement  day ;  and 
though  I  afterward  heard  from  him,  especially  of  the  fame  of 
his  soldiership,  and  hoped  to  see  him,  we  met  again  no  more 
than  once  or  twice.  But,  at  the  distance  of  five  eventful 
years,  the  news  of  his  death  struck  me  with  a  sense  of  my 
bereavement,  so  deep  and  painful,  that,  looking  back  to  those 
six  weeks,  I  could  not  realize  that  they  were  nearly  all  I  had 
intimately  shared  with  him.  Nor  am  I  alone  in  this :  I  know 
of  others,  whose  private  memories  of  Henry  Camp,  as  limited 
as  mine,  stir  in  their  hearts,  at  every  thought  of  his  grave, 
the  true  lament,  '  Alas,  my  brother ! ' 

"  During  the  training  season  of  which  I  speak,  the  crew  had, 
of  course,  very  much  in  common.  We  ate  at  the  same  table, 
and  took  our  exercise  at  the  same  hours ;  so  passing  consider- 
able part  of  every  day  together,  beside  the  time  we  sat  at 
our  oars.  Our  hopes  and  fears  were  one,  our  ardor  burned 
in  one  flame;  we  used  even  to  dream  almost  the  same 
dreams.  The  coming  regatta  was  our  ever-present  stimulus. 
To  win,  —  there  was  nothing  higher  in  the  world.  It  quick- 
ens the  pulse  even  now  to  remember  how  splendid  success 
then  appeared. 

"  Camp  gave  himself  up  to  the  work  in  hand  with  that 
same  enthusiasm  of  devotion  that  carried  him  to  the  fore- 
front of  battle  on  the  day  of  his  glorious  death.  He  was 
always  prompt,  always  making  sport  of  discomforts,  always 
taking  upon  himself  more  than  his  own  share  of  the  hard 
things.  (Severe  training  in  midsummer  is  something  more 


28  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

than  a  pastime.  It  abounds  in  both  tortures  of  the  body, 
and  exasperations  of  mind,  as  all  boating  men  bear  witness. 
Under  them,  not  all  of  us,  at  all  times,  kept  our  patience ;  but 
Camp  never  lost  his.  Not  a  whit  behind  the  best  in  spirit 
and  in  zeal,  he  maintained  under  all  circumstances  a  seren- 
ity that  seemed  absolutely  above  the  reach  of  disturbing  causes. 
The  long,  early  morning  walk  into  the  country,  the  merciless 
rigors  of  diet,  the  thirst  but  half  slaked,  the  toil  of  the  gym- 
nasium, the  weary  miles  down  the  Bay,  under  the  cockswain's 
despotism,  the  return  to  childhood's  bed-time,  and  other  at- 
tendant afflictions,  often  outweighed  the  philosophy  of  all  but 
No.  3.  He  remained  tranquil,  and  diligently  obeyed  all  the 
rules  ;  serving  as  a  sort  of  balance-wheel  among  us,  neutra- 
lizing our  variableness,  and  making  many  a  rough  place 
smooth.  He  had  a  presence,  —  almost  the  happiest  I  ever 
saw,  and  a  temper  that  betrayed  no  shady  side.  He  carried 
all  his  grace  with  him  everywhere,  and  had  a  way  of  shed- 
ding it  on  every  minute  of  an  hour,  —  no  less  on  little  matters 
than  on  great,  —  that  gave  his  company  an  abiding  charm, 
and  his  influence  a  constant  working  power;  and  so  he  went 
on  working  with  all  his  might  for  the  college,  doing  us  good 
daily,  gaining  that  skill  and  muscle,  which  afterward  enabled 
him  to  pull  so  brave  an  oar  through  the  stormy  waves  of 
Hatteras. 

"  He  had  soldierly  ways  about  him  then.  Discipline  was 
his  delight,  and  coolness  never  deserted  him.  We  were  up- 
set one  day,  in  deep  water,  under  a  bridge ;  and,  at  first,  each 
struck  out  for  land,  till  Camp,  remaining  in  mid-stream, 
called  us  back  to  look  after  the  boat,  which  was  too  frail  a 


THE  REGATTA.  29 

structure  to  be  left  to  chance  floating.  That  Hatteras  ex- 
ploit, when  we  heard  of  it,  did  not  seem  at  all  strange.  It 
was  just  like  him  to  volunteer,  and  still  more  like  him  to  be 
the  last  man  to  give  up  what  was  undertaken. 

"At  last  the  day  came,  —  the  day  big  with  fate,  dreaded,  yet 
longed  for.  Noon  of  July  26th  found  us  sitting  in  our  good 
boat,  'Yale,'  on  the  beautiful  Lake  Quinsigamond,  near  Wor- 
cester, ready  at  the  starting  goal,  for  the  signal  to  'Give 
way.'  The  waters  of  the  lake  glittered  and  dimpled  under 
the  summer  sky,  as  if  mocking  our  deep  cares  with  levity. 
Each  grasped  his  oar,  and,  though  it  was  a  vain  attempt, 
tried  to  be  calm.  A  mile  and  a  half  away  up  between  the 
woody  banks  fluttered  the  white  flag,  that  marked  the  turn- 
ing goal.  Beside  us  was  the  '  Harvard  '  and  her  splendid 
crew,  gentlemanly  fellows,  whom  we  had  liked  at  sight. 
There  was  also  in  the  line  a  boat  from  Brown  University, 
with  a  son  of  Adoniram  Judson  at  one  of  the  oars.  Many 
thousands  of  spectators  clustered  on  either  shore,  among 
whom  were  hundreds  of  college  men,  all  eager  and  emulous, 
but  with  no  stirring  of  bad  blood.  The  grace  of  generosity 
presides  most  happily  over  those  congresses  of  youth,  and 
keeps  out  bitterness  from  their  rivalries,  —  or  did,  at  least,  in 
our  day.  But  the  bustle  of  the  crowd  did  not  reach  us  as 
we  sat  watching  the  slow  preliminaries  of  the  judges  and 
umpire.  We  only  heard  the  music  of  the  bands,  which 
then  seemed  a  call  to  battle,  —  almost  as  much  so  as  the  terri- 
ble bugles  that  nearly  all  of  us  were  destined  yet  to  hear. 
At  last  the  suspense  was  ended.  The  first  signal  gun  sent 
its  sharp  echo  to  the  neighboring  hills,  — '  Ready  to  give  way !' 


30  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

Every  oar  quivered  in  its  place.     A  second  gun,  whose 
echoes  we  did  not  hear,  — '  Give  way  all ! '— and  we  were 

off. 

"  In  twenty  minutes,  the  first  day's  race  was  over.  All  the 
college-boating  world  knows  we  were  beaten  in  it,  and  that 
at  evening,  Harvard  bore  into  Worcester,  with  songs  and 
shouting,  the  colors  that  pertained  to  victor)'.  We  shook 
hands  all  round,— the  two  crews,— and  tried  to  appear  to  take 
it  easy  on  both  sides,  though  it  was  not,  of  course,  exactly 
in  the  same  mood  that  we  returned  to  our  quarters,  and  our 
friends  to  theirs.  But  Yale  was  used  to  it,  and  so  was  Har- 
vard. It  was  the  old  thing  over  again :  the  Fortune  that 
prospers  oars  was  too  coy  to  be  propitiated  by  us.  Yet  we 
had  hoped  for  a  change  :  undoubtedly  we  had  expected  it. 
Then  was  Henry  Camp  a  refreshment  to  us.  He  had  done 
,his  best,  he  was  disappointed  ;  but  he  radiated  a  quiet  resig- 
nation that  was  contagious.  It  was  a  comfort  to  talk  with 
No.  3  that  night. 

"  The  next  day  there  was  to  be  another  regatta  given  by 
the  city  of  Worcester,  open  to  all  comers.  The  Harvard 
men  had  signified  their  willingness  to  try  it  again  with  us  ; 
but  we  were  not  immediately  of  one  mind,  and  did  not  jump 
at  the  offer.  Worthy  as  our  rivals  were,  it  was  not  pleasant 
being  beaten  by  them ;  nor  was  the  desperate  work  of  a  three- 
mile  race,  at  mid-day,  in  July,  to  be  coveted  for  itself:  yet  it 
gave  us  and  Alma  Mater  one  more  chance,  and  that  was  not 
lightly  to  be  thrown  away.  Camp's  counsel  was  unhesitat- 
ing and  spirited.  He  was  for  re-entering  the  lists  from  the 
first  instant  it  was  proposed  ;  and  so  it  came  to  pass,  that  wo 


THE  RACE.  31 

took  heart  of  grace :  and  noon  of  the  morrow  found  us  again 
on  the  lake,  grasping  our  oars  and  waiting  the  signal. 

"  This  time  there  was  no  boat  against  us  but  the  '  Harvard.' 
An  accident  early  in  the  first  race  had  disabled  the  representa- 
tive of  Brown,  and  she  was  withdrawn,  not  to  appear  again. 
Tin-  same  fair  multitude,  shining  in  bright  summer  attire, 
was  gathered  to  witnesss  the  scene.  Signs  of  the  previous 
day's  event  were  not  wanting.  On  land  and  water,  the 
Harvard  head  was  high,  as  was  not  unmeet ;  but  our  fellows 
among  the  crowd  observed  a  modest  demeanor,  and  we  in 
the  boat  were  not  disposed  to  vaunt  ourselves.  We  hoped, 
however,  to  make  at  least  a  closer  affair  of  it  than  the  other 
was. 

"  Once  more  we  were  off  with  a  mighty  clamor  from  the 
shore,  each  boat  struggling  for  the  lead.  'Yale'  won  it. 
None  but  a  boating  man  knows  the  glorious  excitement  — 
excitement  without  wildness — that  then  leaped  through  our 
arms  into  the  oars.  Henry  Camp  himself  afterward  said 
that  his  first  battle  did  not  surpass  it.  Every  thing  went 
well  with  us,  and  we  reached  the  milc-and-a-half  goal,  four 
good  lengths  ahead  ;  but  the  '  Harvard'  made  a  splendid  turn, 
and  we  darted  away  on  the  home  stretch,  almost  bow  and 
bow.  The  fortune  of  the  day  trembled  in  even  balances : 
less  than  ten  minutes  would  decide  it.  '  Pull ! '  cried  our 
cockswain,  as  if  for  his  life ;  and  we  heard  the  Harvard  stroke 
inspiring  his  fellows  with  brave  words.  Then  came  the  hot, 
momentous  work,  —  the  literal  agony.  Those  twelve  men 
will  never  forget  it,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  any  can  or  could 
recall  it  in  detail,  minute  by  minute,  short  as  it  was.  There 


32  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

is  an  indistinctness  about  it  in  my  memory  at  least ;  and  the 
last  half-mile  is  especially  cloudy.  It  would  not  be  easy  to 
describe  it.  Most  accounts  of  boat-races,  like  that  in  '  Tom 
Brown  at  Oxford,'  are  from  the  standpoint  of  a  looker-on, 
rather  than  an  actor.  The  real  tragedy  is  in  the  boat. 

"  The  near  neighborhood  of  the  other  contestant,  not  so 
much  seen  as  felt ;  the  occasional  sidewise  gleam  of  red 
from  the  handkerchiefs  the  Harvard  men  wore  about  their 
heads ;  the  burning  exhortations  of  the  cockswain,  gradually 
rising  in  pitch  of  intensity,  and  setting  at  last  upon  the  for- 
mula, '  Pull,  if  you  die  !'  the  pain  of  continued  utmost  exer- 
tion ;  the  various  mental  phenomena,  some  of  which  were 
strange  enough ;  and,  as  we  neared  the  goal,  the  vociferous 
greetings  of  the  first  little  groups  of  spectators, — a  vague 
sound  in  the  ears,  we  scarcely  thought  what  it  was,  except 
a  sweet  token  of  the  end  at  hand ;  then,  a  little  further  on, 
the  cry  of  the  great  multitude,  neutralized  as  a  distraction  by 
the  cockswain's  deepening  passion  ;  the  order  to  quicken  the 
stroke,  the  final  '  Spur  ! '  —  all  these  remain  indelible  im- 
pressions of  that  fragment  of  an  hour  in  1859;  but,  like  the 
impressions  that  survive  a  stormy  dream,  they  are  not 
orderly  or  clear. 

"  I  doubt  if  any  one  remembers  the  command  to  stop.  For 
a  minute  or  two,  there  was  utter  collapse.  Each  bowed 
upon  his  oar,  with  every  sense  suspended  through  exhaus- 
tion :  but,  thanks  to  the  training,  one  after  another  revived, 
and  sat  upright,  and  blessed  himself;  for  all  knew,  though 
rather  confusedly,  that  we  had  done  well  in  entering  that 
race.  To  our  looks  of  inquiry,  the  cockswain,  whose  thun- 


THE   VICTORY.  33 

der-bolts  had  suddenly  dissolved  in  sunshine,  made  this  suffi- 
cient reply, '  We've  got  'em !'  It  had  come  at  last !  Hurrah, 
hurrah  for  Yale !  We  wanted  the  voice  of  ten  thousand 
wherewith  to  vent  our  hearts,  and  the  shore  supplied  it  We 
looked  around :  the  'Harvard*  was  slowly  making  for  the  land. 
To  us  it  was  permitted  by  custom  to  go  before  the  specta- 
tors, and  receive  their  congratulations.  As,  with  easy  oar, 
we  pulled  our  proud  boat  along  either  border  of  the  lake, 
the  applause  that  rose  in  a  great  wave  to  meet  us  was  prob- 
ably the  sweetest  taste  of  glory  our  lives  will  have  af- 
forded. In  our  young  eyes,  nothing  could  be  more  magnifi- 
cent than  our  victory ;  and  it  seemed  like  an  old  Olympic 
triumph. 

"  When  we  landed,  the  Cambridge  crew,  though  their  phi- 
losophy was  much  more  grievously  taxed  than  was  ours  the 
(Liy  before,  gave  us  honest  hands,  and  made  us  handsome 
speeches,  to  which  we  properly  responded,  or  at  least  wished 
we  could.  Altogether,  they  took  defeat  in  such  a  manly 
way,  that  we  felt  very  anxious  to  refrain  from  all  victorious 
airs  in  their  presence,  and  to  conduct  ourselves  with  the  ut- 
most  magnanimity. 

"  The  telegraph  soon  sent  the  news  home  to  Alma  Mater, 
and  that  night  there  was  jubilee  in  New  Haven  ;  but  all  of 
us,  save  the  cockswain,  abode  in  Worcester  till  the  next  morn- 
ing. Then  the  Harvard  men  went  north,  and  the  Yale  men 
south,  and  fair  Quinsigamond  was  vacant  of  college  keels  for 
another  year.  It  was  commencement  day ;  and,  returning 
crowned,  we  were  welcomed  under  the  elms  in  a  manner 
peculiar  to  collegians :  but  from  that  hour  our  close  alliance 


34  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

was  broken.  Two  or  three  went  down  to  put  tip  the  boat ; 
but  the  six  never  sat  together  again. 

"  It  is  pleasant  now  to  see,  that  through  those  youthful  rival- 
ries, useful  as  they  were  in  themselves,  God  was  raising  up 
strength  for  nobler  work  than  we  proposed  or  could  imagine. 
As  we  stretched  away  at  our  practice  down  the  Bay,  we  never 
thought  of  war,  or  battle,  or  the  great  service  of  liberty  that 
would  soon  call  for  thews  of  hardy  men.  Looking  back  to 
those  warm  afternoons  when  we  used  to  disembark  for  a 
respite,  and  sit  upon  the  ruined  wall  of  old  Fort  Hale,  and 
wonder  how  it  seemed  in  those  early  days  when  Yalensians 
were  called  out  from  college  halls  to  fight  in  the  field,  I 
cannot  realize  that  then  and  now  are  less  than  six  years 
apart. 

"  Strange  things  have  happened  since.  The  voice  of  the 
cockswain  has  been  heard  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  on 
many  a  bloody  field.  The  stroke  has  followed  the  flag  ever 
since  the  fall  of  Sumter,  and  came  very  near  death  on  the 
Peninsula.  The  iron  right  arm  of  No.  2  is  maimed  for  life 
by  a  shot  through  the  elbow.  No.  5  will  likewise  carry  to 
his  grave  the  weakness  of  a  wound.  But  No.  3  fell,  and  lay 
dead.  Can  it  be  ?  can  it  be  ?  This  is  strangest  of  all.  Yet 
it  is  not,  perhaps,  altogether  strange  that  a  sacrifice  so  fair 
and  so  truly  consecrated  should  prove  acceptable  to  God,  and 
be  consumed.  There  is  comfort  for  our  grief. 

1  Our  Knights  arc  dust  ; 
Their  good  swords  rust; 
Their  souls  are  with  the  saints,  we  trust. ' " 

Henry  Camp  thoroughly  enjoyed  college  life.     He  did 


COLLEGE  AFFECTION.  35 

not  sever  connection  with  old  Yale  at  his  graduation, 
in  July,  1860.  He  loved  always  to  tell  of,  and  to  think 
over,  his  experiences  there ;  and  he  watched  with  hearty  in- 
terest the  subsequent  career  of  his  classmates.  Most 
warmly  he  greeted  any  of  these  whom  he  encountered  in 
army  service ;  and,  even  while  a  captive  within  the  enemy's 
lines,  he  acknowledged  an  existing  bond  between  himself 
and  each  son  of  his  Alma  Mater.  But  a  few  months  be- 
fore his  death,  he  remarked,  that  the  only  public  sentiment 
to  which  he  was  ever  keenly  sensitive  was  that  of  college. 
His  intense  modesty  prevented  his  ever  dreaming  how 
highly  he  was  esteemed,  and  how  warmly  he  was  beloved, 
by  his  fellow-students. 

The  valedictorian  of  his  class  writes  of  him  :  — 

"  I  had  profound  respect  and  admiration  for  him  as  a  class- 
mate. He  was  frank,  wise,  clear  and  pure  minded,  change- 
less in  friendship.  We  his  classmates  feel  deeply  the 
diminution  of  mental  and  moral  power  suffered  in  his  loss. 
The  sum  total  of  the  class  is  less  by  a  vast  amount  As  a 
positive  power,  as  a  man,  as  a  friend,  we  esteemed  him  highly. 
I  almost  envy  you  the  task  of  delineating  the  character  of  one 
so  pure,  noble,  and  manly.  It  is  a  priceless  remembrance, 
the  friendship  of  such  a  man." 

Says  another  classmate  :  — 

"  A  character  so  noble,  a  life  so  pure,  a  heart  so  warm 
with  kind  impulses,  and  a  manner  replete  with  the  gentle 


36  TIIE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

courtesies  of  friendship,  could  not  fail  to  win  the  love  and 
esteem  of  us  all." 

Yet  another,  who  knew  him  well,  adds  :  — 

"  I  dare  say  he  had  faults ;  but  I  never  saw  them.  I  know 
of  nothing  in  his  life  I  would  correct." 

As  showing  the  power  of  his  Christian  example  during 
his  college  course,  one  who  sat  by  his  side  in  the  chapel 
and  at  recitation  gives  this  narration  :  — 

"  On  entering  college,  I  was  wholly  without  hope  and  with- 
out God  in  the  world.  I  was  beyond  the  reach  of  any  power 
except  the  power  of  Jesus.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  believed 
the  Bible  or  not.  I  did  not  hesitate  to  ridicule  such  parts 
of  it  as  my  inclinations,  urged  on  by  such  a  state,  prompted. 
I  could  sit  in  a  prayer-meeting  in  the  revival  of  '58,  when 
nearly  all  my  classmates  were  giving  testimony  of  the  power 
of  God  to  send  hope  and  peace  to  despairing  souls,  wholly 
unmoved.  I  could  even  smile  at  the  emotions  there  ex- 
pressed. Camp  was  my  companion  through  college  more  than 
any  other  member  of  the  class.  He  was  by  my  side  at  reci- 
tation and  in  the  chapel  during  the  entire  four  years.  I  saw 
in  him  a  character  and  a  life  I  had  never  seen  before.  By 
his  life  I  was  forced  to  admit  that  his  profession  was  per  se  no 
libel  on  the  Master  in  whose  service  he  was. 

"  I  do  not  recollect  what  part  of  our  college  life  it  was  when 
he  first  spoke  to  me  on  the  subject  of  my  soul's  salvation.  It 
was  not,  however,  till  after  his  upright  and  godly  life  had 
forced  from  me  the  most  profound  respect  for  him  and  the 


RELIGIOUS  INFLUENCE.  37 

Saviour  to  whom  he  prayed.  He  said  very  little ;  but  he  said 
enough  to  lead  me  to  think  over  my  past  life,  and  to  cast  a 
glance  at  the  future.  I  shall  never  forget  the  impression 
that  first  conversation  had  upon  my  mind.  It  was  not  so 
much  what  he  said,  as  the  way  he  said  it  He  believed  he 
was  setting  forth  God's  truth,  and  spoke  as  if  he  knew  it  was 
so.  I  believe  that  he  knew  it  was  true,  though  unable  to  ex- 
plain how  he  became  conscious  of  it.  This  I  pondered,  and 
felt  that  he  had  evidences  that  had  been  withheld  from 
me.  He  spoke  with  me  only  a  few  times  on  this  wise,  but 
every  time  with  telling  effect.  I  could  not  help  thinking  of 
it ;  and  after  we  were  parted,  and  I  had  lost  his  companion- 
ship,' I  made  his  thoughts  the  companions  of  my  lonely  hours. 
I  began  to  love  him  more  than  ever,  and  with  love  for  him 
grew  the  love  of  the  same  Lord  whom  he  loved  and  served. 
The  conflict  to  me  was  a  severe  one,  and  how  I  longed  to 
meet  him,  and  converse  with  him ! 

"  Passing  through  New  Haven  when  first  on  his  way  to  his 
regiment,  he  left  on  my  table  a  line  to  this  eflect :  — 

'  DEAR  B. : 
Sorry  to  have  missed  seeing  you. 

Good-by,  God  bless  you  ! 

HENRY  W.  CAMP.' 

"  I  would  have  given  a  fortune  to  have  seen  him  for  an 
hour  !  I  had  not  at  that  time  revealed  my  feelings  to  any 
one,  and  felt  that  he  alone  was  fit  to  receive  them.  I  wrote 
to  him,  and  his  letters  supplied  in  part  the  loss  I  felt.  Not  a 


459996 


38  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

day  since  we  parted,  I  venture  to  say,  has  he  not  been  in 
my  mind.  I  cannot  but  feel  that  he  was  the  instrument  cho- 
sen of  God  to  unveil  the  darkness  that  shut  out  the  light 
from  my  soul.  I  fear  that,  had  I  never  known  him,  I  had 
never  known  the  love  of  God,  nor  welcomed  the  glad  enjoy- 
ment of  a  Christian  experience." 

His  classmate  Holden  thus  sums  up  the  college  estimate 
of  Camp :  — 

"  Those  who  were  members  of  the  class  which  graduated 
at  Yale  college,  in  the  year  I860,  can  bear  ample  testimony 
to  that  earnest  Christian  manhood,  that  sincere  and  faithful 
performance  of  every  duty,  that  quiet,  simple,  childlike  asser- 
tion of  purity  of  mind,  that  magnanimity  and  generosity,  and 
that  courtesy  of  manner,  which  made  Henry  Camp  a  hero  at 
every  period  and  in  every  position  of  his  life. 

"  The  influence  which  he  exerted  in  the  class  by  this  moral 
force  was  most  wonderful,  and  none  the  less  so  because  he 
was  totally  unconscious  of  its  existence.  He  wielded  his  scep- 
tre without  displaying  it,  and  (except  that  he  knew  on  general 
principles  that  sincerity  of  purpose  always  asserts  its  prerog- 
atives) without  knowing  that  he  held  the  sceptre.  He  was 
not,  at  least  until  his  senior  year,  what  is  called  a  '  popular ' 
man.  While  invariably  and  impulsively  a  gentleman,  and 
demonstratively  kind  in  his  demeanor  toward  every  person 
he  had  to  do  with,  his  intimacies  were  few.  Not  only  were 
his  natural  sensitiveness  and  retiring  disposition  an  obstacle  to 
a  free  general  acquaintance,  but  his  intensity  of  feeling  was 


SCHOLARSHIP.  39 

doubtless  gratified  by  concentrating  his  friendship  on  a  few 
chosen  companions.  And  yet  without  exertion,  and  by  the 
unpretending  grandeur  of  his  character,  he  won  not  only  the 
respect,  but  the  profound  love,  of  bis  classmates  to  an  extent 
of  which  he  had  no  idea.  His  conscientiousness  was  never 
intrusive.  No  one  dreamed  of  his  being  a  paragon,  any 
more  than  they  dreamed  of  his  being  inconsistent,  not  with 
his  professions  (for  he  never  made  any),  but  with  his  former 
invariable  practice.  '  To  know  him  once  and  under  any  cir- 
cumstances,' says  an  intimate  friend,  •  was  to  know  him 
always ;  for  he  was  always  the  same.' 

"  He  was  not  a  pretentious  scholar.  His  recitations  were 
not  characterized  by  a  flashing  repetition  of  the  text,  per- 
haps not  always  by  a  quick  perception  of  the  meaning,  but 
invariably  by  a  quiet  self-possession  that  was  evidently 
founded  on  a  thorough,  profound,  and  solid  comprehension  of 
what  he  had  been  studying,  whether  it  had  been  acquired 
by  an  intuitive  knowledge,  or  by  close  and  energetic  appli- 
cation. Although  occupying  a  fine  position  on  the  list  of 
honors,  he  might  have  stood  much  higher  had  he  not  deliber- 
ately chosen  partially  to  devote  himself  to  other  things  which 
he  deemed  equally  useful.  Books  outside  of  the  prescribed 
course  of  study,  chess,  the  gymnasium,  and  boating,  occupied 
a  part  of  his  time  and  attention.  Into  all  these  exercises  he 
threw  that  same  earnest,  hearty,  untiring  energy  which  he 
gave  to  every  thing  else.  Whether  in  laying  his  plans  for  an 
inevitable  check-mate  upon  his  antagonist,  or  whether  labor- 
ing at  his  oar  after  the  hope  of  triumph  had  vanished,  he  dis- 
played the  same  indomitable  and  persistent  courage  with 


40  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

which  he  performed  every  act  in  life  as  soon  as  he  had  de- 
termined that  it  was  right  in  itself  and  a  part  of  his  duty. 
Possessing  a  splendid,  athletic  body,  he  seemed  as  much  in 
earnest  in  developing  it  by  physical  exercises  as  in  conning 
Greek  or  obeying  a  college  law,  and  awakened  by  his  hearti- 
ness the  enthusiasm  of  those  around  him  in  gymnastic  sports 
or  the  contest  of  shell-boats. 

"  Prominent  among  his  traits  was  his  absolute,  unqualified, 
and  unmistakable  hatred  of  every  thing  mean.  He  could 
be  silent  under  an  act  of  injustice,  of  injury,  even  of  insult, 
when  he  believed  it  to  be  the  result  of  thoughtlessness  or  ig- 
norance ;  but  his  detestation  of  meanness  begotten  of  deliber- 
ate malice  or  of  littleness  of  soul  was  inexpressively  withering. 
'  I  never  saw  him  angry  on  any  other  account,'  writes  a  class- 
mate who  knew  him  well :  '  but  a  mean  act  would  make  his 
eyes  flash  fire ;  and  his  words  on  such  occasions,  though  few 
were  emphatic.'  He  seemed  almost  to  have  belonged  to  an 
order  of  Christian  Knighthood  whose  mission  might  be  to  ex- 
terminate dastardly  and  premeditated  wickedness.  Alas ! 
that  his  sword  should  have  dropped  so  soon  from  his  hand  ! 

"  His  inflexible  resolution  always  to  act  with  a  full  under- 
standing of  his  duty,  preliminary  to  an  equally  inflexible  de- 
termination to  perform  it,  cannot  perhaps  be  better  illustrated 
than  by  his  course  relative  to  his  acquiring  the  elective  fran- 
chise, which  occurred  while  he  was  in  college.  He  carefully 
made  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  a  subject  of  close 
and  reflective  study,  not  merely  as  an  intellectual  exercise, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  nature  of  tie  instrument  to  which  he  was  about  to  swear 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  41 

allegiance.  One  or  two  of  its  provisions  were  the  source  of 
protracted  deliberation  and  discussion,  until,  in  fact,  his 
doubts  were  removed. 

"  Of  his  Christian  character  in  college,  little  can  be  said  that 
is  not  true  of  it  in  every  situation.  His  modesty  did  not  ob- 
scure it;  but  it  did  prevent  any  ostentatious  display  of  it.  A 
college  friend  on  terms  of  closest  intimacy  writes  as  follows : 
'  Those  who  saw  his  heart  in  this  respect  will  cherish  the  rev- 
elations made  to  them  as  something  sacred.  I  know  one 
who  was  brought  to  Christ,  who,  had  it  not  been  for  him, 
for  his  Christian  character  as  revealed  in  his  conversation, 
and  for  the  sincerity  and  whole-heartedness  of  his  trust  in 
Christ,  would  not,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  have  ever  been  a 
Christian.  Others  I  know  who  were  influenced  by  him, 
whom  he  did  not  know  or  dream  of,  —  whom  he  knows 
now.1 

"  Undoubtedly  there  is  a  cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  sublimity 
of  that  faith,  and  the  simplicity  of  that  piety,  which  made 
their  lasting  impression  upon  otherwise  heedless  souls.  To 
those  acquainted  with  or  superficially  knowing  Henry  Camp, 
this  sketch  may  seem  only  a  fulsome  panegyric ;  but  it  is 
true  (and  it  can  be  said  of  very  few  men)  that  no  word  of 
praise  could  be  erased  without  doing  him  injustice.  Indeed, 
words  are  worth  very  little  to  those  who  knew  him  thoroughly. 
They  may  perhaps  suggest  tender  memories  that  will  come 
thronging  back,  laden  with  renewed  love  and  respect  for 
him  who  commanded  by  his  intrinsic  worth  so  much  of  affec- 
tion and  so  much  of  reverence. 

"  '  No  man  despised  his  youth ; '  for  he  was  '  an  example  of 


42  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  believers  in  word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit, 
in  faith,  in  purity.' 

"  The  poet  of  his  class,  in  his  valedictory  poem,  described,  as 
beautifully  as  he  did  correctly,  such  a  character  as  Camp's, 
in  the  following  verses :  — 

"  Living  well  is  not  mere  living: 

In  the  cultured  taste  of  schools : 
'Tis  not  in  the  knack  of  business, 

Or  the  hoarded  gold  of  fools  ; 

But  an  earnest  life's  deep  passion 

Beating  in  a  kingly  heart, 
With  the  gentle  grace  of  goodness 

Glorifying  every  part." 

"If  ever  there  was '  a  voice  from  the  tomb  sweeter  than  song, 
and  a  recollection  of  the  dead  to  which  we  turn,  even  from 
the  charms  of  the  living,'  it  is  when  such  Christian  bravery 
as  his  achieves  its  crowning  victory  over  the  grave,  and  when 
the  homage  we  pay  to  his  intellectual  nobility  is  sanctified 
by  the  blessed  memory  of  those  virtues  which  are  '  the  native 
growth  of  noble  mind.' " 


CHAPTER  III. 

TEACHER,  LAW  STUDENT,  SOLDIER. 

|N  September,  after  leaving  college,  Camp  took 
charge  of  the  high  school  at  East  Hartford,  and 
remained  as  its  principal  about  six  months.  Ho 
became  warmly  attached  to  some  who  were  his  pupils  there  ; 
but  teaching  was  tame  business  to  him,  especially  in  the 
stirring  times  then  opening  before  the  nation. 

Accepting  the  responsibilities  of  the  elective  franchise 
after  his  careful  study  of  the  Constitution,  he  cast  his  first 
vote,  in  the  spring  of  18GO,  for  good  Governor  Bucking- 
ham. In  the  Presidential  election  of  the  November  fol- 
lowing, he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Of  the  possible 
consequences  of  this  vote  he  was  not  unmindful,  yet  he 
had  no  hesitation  in  casting  it.  Doing  what  he  believed  to 
be  right,  he  was  never  anxious  as  to  the  result.  He  did 
not  desire  war.  Brought  up  in  the  strictest  nonresistant 
school,  he  was  emphatically  a  lover  of  peace.  Of  gentle, 
retiring  nature,  ho  shrunk  instinctively  from  unpleasant 
collision  with  any.  He  never  quarrelled.  Up  to  this 
time  he  had  never  lifted  a  hand  in  anger,  or  even  struck 

43 


44  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

a  blow  in  self-defense.  He  was  ready  to  yield  whatever 
was  properly  at  bis  disposal,  for  the  good  of  others,  or  for 
the  sake  of  harmony.  But,  though  never  obstinate,  he  was 
ever  firm.  He  could  not  concede  an  iota  of  principle.  It 
seemed  an  impossibility  for  him  to  swerve  a  hair,  on  any 
inducement,  from  the  path  of  duty  as  he  saw  it.  Nothing 
but  a  clear  change  of  conviction  ever  changed  a  position 
which  he  assumed  on  a  moral  question.  War  or  no  war, 
he  would  vote  and  act  as  he  believed  to  be  right. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1861,  a  letter  received  from  a 
resident  of  the  South,  formerly  his  playfellow  and  school- 
mate, while  it  grieved  him  by  its  unprovoked  harshness  of 
spirit,  aroused  his  sense  of  manliness  by  its  contemptuous 
flings  at  Northerners,  and  its  defiant  threats  of  resistance 
to  Federal  rule.  He  replied  to  the  letter  in  calm  dignity, 
avoiding  every  issue  but  the  simple  one  of  duty  to  a  Gov- 
ernment whose  beneficent  rule  its  bitterest  opposers  could 
not  gainsay,  while  he  held  to  account  for  all  consequences 
those  who  arrayed  themselves  against  just  authority.  In 
concluding,  he  said  :  — 

"  Should  you  resist,  as  you  threaten,  upon  your  heads, 
and  yours  alone,  will  rest  the  fearful  responsibility  of  com- 
mencing a  civil  war.  We  have  planted  ourselves  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  Constitution  and  the  laws  :  from  it, 
we  shall  neither  advance  to  aggression,  nor  retreat  one 
hair's  breadth  in  concession.  Conscious  that  we  have  done 
all  in  our  power  for  the  maintenance  of  peace  and  harmo- 


A  LAW  STUDENT.  45 

ny,  loth  to  encounter  in  arms  those  whom  we  have  been 
wont  to  greet  as  brothers,  we  shall  yet  meet  unflinchingly 
whatever  issue  may  be  forced  upon  us,  urged  on,  not  by 
impulse  or  passion,  but  by  a  solemn  sense  of  the  duty  which 
we  owe  to  our  country.  Nor  will  the  men  of  New  Eng- 
land, sons  of  those  who  fought  at  Bunker  Hill  and  Sara- 
toga, who  defended  for  the  South  the  soil  which  her  Tories 
would  not  and  her  patriots  could  not  defend  for  them- 
selves, be  found  wanting  in  the  hour  of  trial.  Side  by  side 
with  the  brave  men  of  the  West,  we  will  stand  to  the  last 
for  the  Union,  the  Constitution,  and  the  Laws,  —  and  may 
God  defend  the  right !  " 

After  leaving  his  charge  in  East  Hartford,  Camp  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  John  Hooker,  Esq., 
reporter  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Connecticut.  What  capa- 
bilities he  showed  in  the  pursuit  of  this  science,  his  appreci- 
ative instructor  states  in  a  letter  at  the  close  of  this  volume. 

The  opening  of  the  war  found  him  thus  engaged  ;  and, 
during  the  first  seven  months  of  its  progress,  he  remained 
a  law  student,  —  yet  by  no  means  contentedly. 

Had  he  followed  his  impulses,  he  would  have  sprung 
forward  at  the  first  call  of  the  President  for  troops ;  for  he 
was  already  prepared  for  the  issue,  and  he  was  never  a 
laggard  in  duty.  But  there  were  considerations  that  held 
him  back  for  a  time.  Those  whose  judgment  he  had  ever 
deferred  to,  and  whom  above  all  others  he  loved  to  please, 
while  as  warmly  patriotic  as  himself,  were  so  imbued  with 


46  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  eentle  spirit  of  Christian  charity,  of  love  to  all,  that 

O  * 

they  could  not,  at  first,  see  the  justification  of  war,  even 
under  any  pressure  of  wrong  from  others.  They  were  un- 
willing that  the  son  of  their  hearts  should  be  engaged  in  a 
work  of  blood,  not  because  he  might  lose  his  own  life,  but 
lest  he  should  take  the  life  of  others. 

If  the  need  of  men  to  defend  the  Government,  had,  at 
that  time,  been  greater,  the  issue  might  have  been  raised, 
in  Camp's  mind,  between  filial  and  patriotic  obligations ; 
but  just  then  more  men  were  offering  themselves  than 
could  be  accepted,  and  it  was  rather  as  a  privilege  than 
a  duty  that  any  entered  the  army.  Hence,  Henry  Camp 
denied  himself,  and  stayed  at  home  ;  and  no  sacrifice  which 
he  ever  made  cost  him  more,  or  was  more  purely  an  act 
of  generous  self-abnegation,  than  to  sit  down  in  ease  at 
the  North  during  the  earlier  months  of  the  nation's  strug- 
gle for  life.  But,  although  at  home,  he  was  making  ready 
for  the  service  in  which  he  was  yet  to  bear  a  part.  Join- 
ing in  April  the  Hartford  City  Guard,  a  fine  organization 
of  citizen  soldiery,  he  acquired  proficiency  in  the  details  of 
drill  and  company  movements,  while  making  army  tactics 
more  or  less  his  study.  Sept.  '5,  1861,  he  accompa- 
nied, as  a  member  of  the  City  Guard,  doing  escort  duty, 
the  remains  of  Gen.  Lyon  to  their  resting-place  in  East- 
ford  ;  and  the  impressions  of  that  occasion  only  added  fer- 
vor to  his  strong  desire  to  have  a  part  in  the  contest  in 
which  the  hero,  then  buried,  had  fallen. 


ENTERS  SERVICE.  47 

His  opportunity  came  at  length.  In  November,  a  com- 
mission was  tendered  him  in  the  10th  Volunteer  Regiment 
of  Connecticut  infantry,  then  at  the  Annapolis  rendezvous 
of  Gen.  Burnside's  Coast  Division.  The  proffered  posi- 
tion was  unsought  and  unexpected.  The  call  to  it  en- 
abled him  to  urge  anew  upon  his  parents  the  claims  of 
country  on  his  personal  service,  and  the  fresh  indication 
of  his  duty  furnished  by  this  seeming  providential  sum- 
mons. While  the  subject  was  under  deliberation,  he 
prayerfully  sought  God's  counsel,  and  earnestly  searched 
the  Scriptures,  as  often  before,  for  direction  as  to  the  path 
of  right.  The  consent  of  his  parents  was  obtained.  The 
way  was  then  clear  before  him.  He  signified  his  readiness 
to  accept  an  appointment,  and  received  a  commission  as 
second  lieutenant,  dated  December  5,  1861.  He  was 
commissioned  by  Gov.  Buckingham  on  the  nomination  of 
Col.  Charles  L.  Russell,  the  gallant  and  experienced  com- 
mander of  the  10th,  whose  desire  of  increasing  the  num- 
ber of  good  officers  in  the  regiment  induced  him  to  seek 
the  best  material  from  without  to  take  the  place  of  that 
sifted  out  in  the  process  of  organization. 

Camp  entered  joyfully  upon  his  new  sphere  of  action. 
Those  who  saw  and  heard  him  at  the  Asylum  Hill  Sabbath 
school,  where  he  was  a  faithful  and  beloved  teacher,  on  the 
Sabbath  before  his  departure  for  the  army,  will  not  soon 
forget  the  impressions  of  that  occasion.  Just  before  the 
close  of  the  session,  the  superintendent  called  the  attention 


48  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  the  school  to  the  fact,  that  another  of  its  valued  teachers 
was  to  leave  for  the  army  in  the  course  of  the  week,  and 
added,  that  it  would  be  gratifying  to  all  to  listen  to  his 
parting  words.  Thus  called  upon,  Camp  rose  at  his  scat, 
in  a  far  corner  of  the  room,  and,  modestly  declining  to  step 
forward  to  a  more  prominent  place,  said  in  substance,  in 
his  quiet,  unassuming,  yet  dignified  and  impressive  man- 
ner, "My friends,  I  have  no  farewell  speech  to  make  to- 
day, nor  would  it  be  becoming  in  me  to  attempt  one.  I 
am  only  one  more  going  out  to  the  war,  as  many,  who  will 
be  more  missed  than  I  shall  be,  have  gone  before.  Why 
should  this  call  for  special  notice?  Although  I  love  my 
home,  and  love  this  old  school,  I  can  not  say  that  I  am  sorry 
I  am  going  away.  I  can  not  even  say  that  I  leave  you  all 
because  I  deem  it  ray  duty  to  go.  I  rejoice  rather,  that, 
at  length,  I  am  to  have  the  part  I  have  longed  for,  but 
which  has  been  denied  me  until  now,  in  defending  my  Gov- 
ernment and  in  serving  my  country.  I  go  because  I  want 
to  go;  and  I  give  God  thanks  for  the  privilege  of  going." 
And  it  was  thus  that  Henry  Camp  went  to  war. 

Hastening  to  Annapolis,  he  joined  his  regiment,  and  en- 
tered on  the  performance  of  a  soldier's  duty,  and  the  study 
of  his  new  profession.  He  was  among  strangers,  and  in  a 
strange  work.  Few  men  ever  left  a  pleasanter  home,  or 
more  entirely  changed  their  associates,  habits,  and  sur- 
roundings on  joining  the  army,  than  did  Henry  Camp.  It 
was  impossible  that  he  should  feel  entirely  at  ease,  and 


ARMY  PRATER-MEETING.  49 

have  no  yearnings  for  the  delights  he  had  left  behind. 
Yet  he  did  not  repent  his  decision.  Writing  home  on  his 
first  sabbath  evening  in  camp,  he  said,  — 

"  I  have  just  been  to  a  prayer-meeting,  and  it  really 
seems  good,  after  such  a  busy,  working  week.  I  shall 
prize  these  services,  and,  I  think,  enjoy  them  a  great  deal 
better  than  I  did  at  home.  They  are  held  nearly  every 
evening ;  but  our  officers'  school  interferes  with  my  attend- 
ing them,  except  on  Sunday.  To-night,  a  great  fire  was 
built  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  company  streets,  and  we 
gathered  around  it,  standing,  of  course.  There  are  several 
Greenwich  men  here,  who  have  come  to  see  how  their  boys 
arc  getting  along,  —  men  who  have  already  done  a  great 
deal,  and  are  ready  to  do  more ;  and  one  of  them  spoko 
very  earnestly.  Chaplain  Hall  said  a  few  words :  the 
rest  consisted  about  equally  of  prayers  and  singing. 

' '  The  only  trouble  about  these  meetings  is,  that  they  seem 
so  homelike  and  pleasant,  that  I  believe  a  few  more  would 
make  me  homesick.  I  suspect  I  should  be  very  soon,  if 
every  day  was  Sunday,  and  I  had  leisure  to  write  to  you, 
and  think  about  you  :  yet  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  hun- 
dred times  better  for  me  to  be  here  ;  and  I  am  very  glad 
that  I  came.  I  enjoy  the  idea  that  I  am  really  at  work, 
though  I  can't  tell  yet  how  much  my  work  will  accomplish : 
something,  I  believe,  for  myself,  if  for  nobody  else." 

Then,  in  full  appreciation  of  the  novelties  and  incongru- 
ities of  life  in  camp,  he  added  :  — 
4 


50  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  There  are  all  sorts  of  things  going  on  here  at  once. 
Anybody  that  can't  suit  himself  somewhere  must  be  hard 
to  suit.  Prayer-meetings  at  one  end  of  an  avenue  ;  a 
group  swearing  till  they  make  every  thing  blue,  at  the  other ; 
one  set  singing,  '  Down  in  Alabam ; '  another,  hymns ; 
some  reading  in  their  tents  ;  some  chasing  each  other  round, 
or  wrestling;  bands  playing  or  drums  beating  some- 
where almost  all  the  time ;  sentinels  calling  for  the  cor- 
poral of  the  guard,  and  passing  the  word  along  the  lines ; 
a  little,  or  rather  a  good  deal,  of  every  thing,  —  it  isn't 
much  like  a  home  Sunday,  unless  you  happen  to  get  into 
the  right  spot,  and  then  it  is." 

He  had  not  been  long  in  the  regiment,  before  he  learned 
that  a  prejudice  existed  against  himself,  and  the  newly 
appointed  officers  who  came  with  him  from  Connecticut, 
because  they  were  commissioned  from  without,  and  now 
filled  places  aspired  to  by  non-commissioned  officers,  who 
were  in  the  regiment  at  its  organization.  The  discovery  of 
this  fact  gave  Camp  scarcely  any  annoyance.  He  merely 
mentions  it  incidentally  in  a  home  letter.  It  does  not  seem 
to  have  caused  him  an  hour's  discomfort.  He  had  not 
sought  the  commission  :  it  had  been  tendered  him  by  those 
who  had  the  right  to  give  it,  and  who,  being  competent 
judges,  and  having  the  interests  of  the  regiment  at  heart, 
had  thought  it  best  to  secure  his  services.  He  had  come, 
not  to  obtain  popularity  or  advancement,  but  to  serve  his 
country,  and  perform  the  duties  of  his  sphere.  What 


SAILS  FOR  HATTER  AS.  51 

others  thought  of  him,  while  his  conscience  was  clear,  was 
not  a  point  about  which  he  was  anxious.  With  all  his 
modesty,  he  had  the  intuitive  consciousness  that  time  would 
right  him  as  it  did  most  gloriously.  Meantime  he  moved 
on  in  the  calm  dignity  of  his  nobleness,  respected  ever  by 
all,  — as  well  by  those  who  envied  him,  and  had  jealousy  of 
his  position,  as  by  those  who  admired  him  and  were  always 
glad  he  had  entered  the  regiment. 

The  10th  was  in  the  brigade  of  Gen.  John  G.  Foster, 
which  included  also  the  23d,  24th,  25th,  and  27th  Massa- 
chusetts regimentsj  —  all  New-England  troops  of  the  very 
choicest  material.  The  time  passed  at  Annapolis  was  every 
hour  improved  in  the  perfecting  of  drill  and  discipline, 
and  in  other  preparations  for  the  somewhat  delayed  move 
of  the  expedition. 

In  a  home  letter,  Camp  sent,  as  a  Christmas  token  of  affec- 
tion, a  good  sketch,  in  pencil,  of  his  regimental  camp  at  An- 
napolis ;  an  engraving  from  which  is  on  the  opposite  page. 

About  the  first  of  January,  1862,  orders  were  received 
for  the  embarkation  of  the  troops  of  the  expedition  ;  but  a 
delay  of  several  days  occurred  ere  all  was  ready,  and  the 
fleet  left  Annapolis.  Eight  companies  of  the  10th  were 
on  the  steamer  "New  Brunswick."  Two  companies,  I 
aud  B,  were  on  the  schooner  "  E.  W.  Farrington." 
Lieut.  Camp  was  of  Co.  I.  The  fleet  rendezvoused  at 
Fort  Monroe,  thence  sailed  for  Hatteras.  On  his  first 
sabbath  at  sea,  Camp  wrote  :  — 


52  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  It  hasn't  seemed  much  like  sabbath  to  me.  Erery 
thing  on  shipboard  must  of  course  go  on  as  usual,  and  read- 
ing the  '  Independent '  is  almost  the  only  thing  that  reminds 
me  of  home,  —  by  association  I  mean  :  there  is  plenty  to 
do  it  by  contrast.  How  little  I  thought  a  few  sabbaths 
ago,  that  I  should  be  on  the  Atlantic  to-day,  bound  for 
Hatteras,  in  a  little  schooner  full  of  soldiers  on  their  way 
to  the  battlefield,  — and  I  one  of  them  !  that's  the  stran- 
gest of  it !  I  can't  realize  it  yet  any  better  than  I  could  at 
first.  I  have  to  stop  once  in  a  while,  and  take  a  good  look 
at  myself,  —  and  that  doesn't  do  much  toward  it  either ; 
and  then  go  back  to  the  time  I  left  home,  and  think  it  all 
over  from  the  beginning,  before  I  can  be  quite  sure  that 
this  fellow  here  isn't  somebody  else,  and  that  /  am  not 
back  in  Hartford,  studying  law  and  teaching  Sunday 
school,  and  living  a  good-for-nothing  lazy  life  of  it  gener- 
ally." 

He  lived  no  "good-for-nothing  lazy  life"  in  army  ser- 
vice. While  on  the  transport,  his  opportunities  to  exert 
himself  for  others  were  as  few  as  they  could  be  anywhere ; 
yet  even  there  he  proved  how  ready  he  was  to  do  his  utmost 
in  his  sphere.  Stormy  weather  delayed  the  progress  of  the 
fleet.  Some  of  the  vessels  drew  more  water  than  had  been 
agreed  upon,  and  could  not  pass  the  shoal  across  Hatteras 
Inlet,  known  as  the  "  Swash."  Weeks  instead  of  days 
went  by  before  all  were  fairly  inside.  The  quarters  of  the 
men  were  cramped,  close,  and  uncleanly.  The  drinking 


PURE  EXAMPLE.  53 

water  had  all  been  put  in  filthy  casks.  Commissary  stores 
were  of  the  poorest  kind.  Army  contractors  had  proved  a 
curse  to  the  entire  expedition.  The  health  and  the  spirits 
of  officers  and  men  suffered  greatly.  Drill  was  out  of  the 
question.  Discipline  could  be  but  partial,  at  the  best. 
Every  thing  tended  to  laxness  and  demoralization. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  pure  example  of  Lieut. 
Camp  was  most  effective  for  good.  A  brother  officer  tells 
of  sitting  by  a  table  with  him,  in  the  saloon  of  the  "  New 
Brunswick,"  one  evening,  playing  chess,  when  an  officer 
near  them  indulged  in  impure  language.  Camp,  he  says, 
fairly  blushed  like  a  maiden  ;  and  then,  as  the  same  style 
of  remark  was  repeated,  he  rose  from  his  seat,  saying, 
"  Let  us  find  another  place,  the  air  is  very  foul  here." 
Another  officer,  who  was  his  companion  on  the  "  Farring- 
ton,"  says,  that  during  all  those  weeks  of  wearisomeness, 
with  the  entire  lack  of  home  restraints,  with  the  stern  temp- 
tation to  idle  talk,  and  with  the  example  of  so  many  in 
coarseness  or  profanity,  no  one  ever  heard  Camp  utter  a 
single  word  that  might  not  properly  have  been  spoken  in 
his  parlor  before  his  mother  and  sisters. 

Before  he  had  been  many  days  on  shipboard,  he  had  an 
opportunity  of  proving  conspicuously  his  courage  and  gal- 
lantry. The  steamer  "City  of  New  York ' '  was  wrecked  just 
outside  the  bar,  after  the  "  Farrington  "  had  passed  within. 
The  captain  of  the  schooner  determined  to  attempt  the  res- 
cue of  those  on  the  wreck  by  putting  off  in  his  yawl  in  the 


54  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

severe  storm  then  raging.  Lieut.  Camp  proposed  to  ac- 
company him ;  but  the  old  skipper  "  disdained  him,  for  he 
was  but  a  youth,  and  ruddy,  and* of  a  fair  countenance." 
"  You !  "  he  cried  in  a  contemptuous  tone,  "  why,  you 
couldn't  handle  one  of  those  big  oars !  "  On  Camp's  assur- 
ing him  that  he  had  had  some  experience  in  rowing,  and 
thought  he  could  get  along,  the  captain  hesitatingly  accept- 
ed his  services,  taking  an  extra  man  in  the  boat  in  view  of 
the  lieutenant's  probable  failure. 

The  storm  was  fearful.  The  little  boat  which  put  off 
for  the  wreck  was  a  mere  plaything  in  the  boiling  surge, 
tossed  hither  and  thither  by  the  lashing  waves  and  the 
driving  gale,  shipping  more  than  one  sea  that  seemed  sure 
to  swamp  it,  and  being  kept  on  its  way  only  by  the  stout- 
est hearts,  the  strongest  arms,  and  the  steadiest  nerves. 
The  attempt  to  reach  the  steamer  proved  vain.  Human 
strength  was  helpless  against  the  combined  power  of  the 
enraged  elements.  One  after  another  of  the  boat's  crew 
gave  up  in  despair,  until  only  a  single  sailor  remained  with 
Lieut.  Camp,  self-possessed  and  undaunted.  The  order 
was  given  to  return  to  the  transport.  When  again  on  his 
own  deck,  the  captain,  whose  distrust  of  the  fair-faced 
young  officer  had  given  place  to  admiration  for  the  brave- 
hearted,  unflinching,  skilful  oarsman,  declared,  that 
"  Lieut.  Camp  was  game,  and  the  pluckiest  fellow  he  ever 
saw :  if  he  had  had  a  boat's  crew  like  him  he  could  have 
gone  through  to  the  wreck."  Others  who  watched  the  scene 


COURAGE.  55 

were  equally  impressed  in  the  lieutenant's  favor.  Said 
one,  "  Lieut.  Camp  would  never  have  given  the  word  to 
turn  back,  for  fear  was  no  part  of  his  composition."  The 
story  of  this  exploit  was  often  repeated  in  his  praise  among 
the  men  of  his  company  and  throughout  the  regiment. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ROANOKE  AND  NEWBERNE. 

|T  length  there  was  a  break  in  the  long  storm. 
The  vessels  of  the  fleet  were  either  over  the 
"  Swash,"  or  their  troops  and  freight  were  trans- 
ferred to  other  craft.  Early  in  February,  there  was  an 
advance  up  Pamlico  Sound  toward  Roanoke  Island. 

"  It  was  something  of  a  sight,"  wrote  Camp,  "  to  see  so 
many  vessels  under  headway  at  once ;  gunboats  leading 
off,  steamers  and  sailing  vessels  in  tow  of  them,  following 
on  in  a  procession  some  four  or  five  miles  long,  while  little 
tugs  and  fast  propellers  dodged  about  among  them  in  all 
directions.  Gen.  Burnside  passed  us  soon  after  we  started, 
standing  on  the  hurricane-deck  of  a  small  steamer,  and 
compelled  to  keep  his  head  uncovered  half  the  time  in  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  cheers  which  went  up  from  every 
vessel  as  be  came  opposite.  He  and  Foster  are  both  of 
them  magnificent-looking  men,  tall,  of  commanding  pres- 
ence, and  generally  quite  the  article  one  reads  of." 

Of  his  personal  feelings  on  the  approach  of  the  battle, 
Camp  wrote,  the  evening  before  the  landing  :  — 

"  I  can't  realize  that  I  am  to  have  my  first  experience 
66 


READY  FOR  BATTLE.  57 

of  battle  to-morrow,  —  perhaps  my  last ;  not  fully,  at 
least.  I  believe  that  something  so  entirely  out  of  the  range 
of  all  one's  previous  experience  needs  to  be  once  seen  be- 
fore it  can  be  brought  by  any  effort  fairly  into  the  scope 
of  thought.  I  suppose  that  is  one  reason  why  it  affects 
me  so  little.  I  expected  to  be  at  least  somewhat  excited 
beforehand ;  but  I  have  been  ten  times  more  so  the  evening 
before  a  boat-race.  I  shall  sleep  to-night  like  a  top,  and 
don't  believe  I  shall  dream  about  it.  I  wish  I  could  feel 
so  when  the  time  comes.  I  shall  be  excited  enough  then, 
I'll  venture.  If  I  can  keep  cool  enough  to  behave  myself, 
it's  all  I  expect." 

His  farewell  letter  written  on  that  night  of  eventful  an- 
ticipation, to  be  delivered  to  his  home  friends  in  case  of  his 
fall,  was  touchingly  beautiful,  so  full  of  tenderness  for  those 
whom  he  addressed,  so  firm  in  its  assurance  of  satisfaction 
with  his  lot  in  such  a  cause,  so  clear  in  its  expression  of 
faith  in  Jesus  as  his  sufficient  Saviour.  It  was  never  for- 
warded, but  destroyed  by  him  long  after,  when  it  had  been 
read  to  the  friend  in  whom  he,  later,  confided  so  fully. 

In  the  afternoon  of  February  7th,  the  troops  landed  on 
Roanoke  Island  under  cover  of  the  gunboats'  fire.  There 
was  a  dismal  night  in  a  pitiless  storm,  without  shelter  for 
the  poor  men,  who  were  as  yet  unused  to  the  exposures  of 
active  campaigning.  The  following  morning  was  the  day 
of  battle.  To  his  disappointment  and  regret,  Camp  was 
prevented  sharing  in  all  the  excitements  of  the  contest  by 


58  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

being  ordered  to  the  landing  on  special  duty,  just  as  liis 
regiment  was  taking  position  on  the  field.  His  hurried 
letter  of  the  following  day  told  the  story  briefly  :  — 

"I  suppose  you  will  hear  of  the  fight,  and  be  anxious. 
I  am  safe  and  well,  —  wasn't  in  the  action,  I'm  sorry  to 
say ;  not  through  any  fault  of  mine,  though.  Just  before 
our  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  front,  I  was  sent,  by  Gen- 
eral Foster's  orders,  on  detached  service.  Ammunition  was 
needed ;  and  I  was  directed  to  take  a  steamer,  get  140,000 
rounds  from  a  vessel  that  lay  two  or  three  miles  off  shore, 
and  use  my  discretion  as  to  the  means  of  bringing  it  for- 
ward as  rapidly  as  possible.  I  used  all  speed ;  but  the 
affair  was  over  before  I  could  rejoin  the  regiment.  It  was 
a  hard  fight,  and  a  splendid  victory.  If  I  only  could  have 
been  there !  To  think  that  the  regiment  has  been  in  such 
a  glorious  affair,  and  I  have  no  part  in  it !  It  was  hard 
to  be  the  one  sent  away." 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  he  described  vividly  the  advance 
of  his  regiment  to  the  battle,  and  the  incidents  of  the 
opening  fight.  Although  not  actually  under  fire,  he  passed 
through  all  the  tedious  preliminaries  of  the  action,  which 
every  old  soldier  knows  constitute  the  most  trying,  even 
if  not  the  most  perilous,  part  of  such  an  engagement. 
It  was  of  the  early  morning  of  February  8th,  that  he 
wrote :  — 

"  The  men  fell  in   promptly  and  coolly,   and   stood 
awaiting  orders, — eating  their  breakfasts,  many  of  them, 


THE  ADVANCE.  59 

in  the  mean  time.  The  regiments  on  the  right  of  the 
brigade  took  up  the  march  first,  the  others  following  in 
brigade  order  (we  came  third),  marching  in  column,  four 
abreast,  along  a  narrow  road  with  dense  underbrush  on 
either  side ;  making  it  very  difficult  for  the  skirmishers  on 
the  flanks  to  advance,  and  furnishing  every  advantage 
for  an  enterprising  enemy  to  annoy  us.  They  didn't, 
however.  .  .  . 

"  As  we  advanced,  we  could  hear  the  frequent  reports 
of  muskets,  and  the  occasional  crack  of  a  rifle,  sounding 
some  half  a  mile  ahead.  It  was  evident  that  the  skirmishers 
were  at  it.  Not  far  beyond  the  brook,  we  passed  the  21st 
Mass.,  who  had  been  at  the  outposts  during  the  night, — 
some  in  line  along  the  roadside,  some  around  fires  a  little 
farther  in  the  woods,  —  a  fine-looking  set  of  fellows,  who 
exchanged  jokes  and  greetings  with  us  as  we  went  by. 
The  farther  we  went,  the  sharper  the  firing  became  j  and 
soon  we  had  to  make  way  for  four  men  who  came  carrying 
a  litter,  heavy,  with  a  blanket  thrown  over  what  lay  upon 
it.  Men  looked  at  each  other,  and  grew  sober.  Presently 
a  couple  more  came  with  one  between  them :  no  wound 
was  visible ;  but  he  was  ghastly  pale,  and  could  scarcely 
walk  with  their  support.  Then  we  came  upon  another, 
lying  quite  still  by  the  roadside ;  he  had  been  brought  so 
far  and  left,  the  wounded  needed  attention  more  than  he. 
There  was  no  blood,  or  almost  none,  upon  any  of  them. 
I  looked  to  see  the  wounds,  and  wondered  that  there 


60  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

seemed  to  be  none,  until  I  remembered  that  gunshot 
injuries  seldom  cause  any  flow  of  blood  which  would  soak 
through  the  clothing.  Another  passed,  with  one  on  each 
side  to  help  him:  he  groaned  heavily;  and  his  left  arm, 
what  there  was  of  it,  hung  in  rags  from  its  bloody  stump : 
it  had  been  shattered  by  the  premature  discharge  of  one 
of  our  own  field-pieces. 

"  These  things  are  so  different  to  see  and  to  read  about, 
it  strikes  one  like  a  new  idea  to  have  the  sight  actually 
before  his  eyes,  just  as  if  he  hadn't  expected  that  very 
thing.  I  can't  exactly  describe  the  sensation  it  gave  me. 
I  sha'n't  pretend  to  say  that  I  wasn't  at  all  affected  by  it ; 
indeed,  of  all  the  men  whom  I  have  heard  speak  about  it 
since  the  time,  there  was  only  one  who  did  pretend  so, — 
he  may,  perhaps,  have  told  the  truth. 

"  Our  march  was  obstructed  by  water  and  thickets ; 
sometimes  we  halted  to  allow  those  behind  to  come  up, 
then  started  off  at  double-quick  to  gain  lost  distance. 
The  discharge  of  cannon  and  musketry  grew  constantly 
louder  and  more  frequent,  until  there  was  an  almost 
uninterrupted  rattle,  evidently  quite  near,  but  more 
apparently  to  the  left  than  in  front.  At  length  we  halted, 
and  the  men  rested  for  a  few  moments  to  give  the  regiment 
before  us  time  to  get  into  position  before  we  advanced  to 
ours.  The  wounded  were  being  brought  by  at  short 
intervals,  and  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  watch  them  as 
they  passed. 


THE  SURRENDER.  61 

"  It  was  curious  to  notice  the  different  effect  which  the 
first  true  idea  of  what  battle  is  produced  on  different  men. 
I  looked  at  various  faces.  Some  were  perfectly  natural ; 
a  few  bright;  a  large  majority  exceedingly  sober;  more 
than  one  a  little  pale.  I  was  wondering  whether  I  looked 
pale,  when  Major  Pettibone  came  up  and  ordered  me  to 
the  head  of  the  column  to  tell  Colonel  Russell  that  the 
general's  orders  were  to  advance.  I  delivered  the  message, 
and  received  for  reply  that  General  Foster  was  himself 
there  and  in  command.  So  I  reported  to  the  major,  and 
took  iny  place  again." 

It  was  just  then  that  Lieutenant  Camp  was  ordered 
back  for  the  ammunition.  The  task  assigned  him  was  a 
tedious  one ;  and  when  it  was  at  length  accomplished,  his 
regiment,  having  changed  position,  was  not  easily  found 
by  him.  Although  ho  strained  every  nerve  to  be  speedily 
again  at  the  front,  it  was  evening  before  he  was  onco  more 
with  his  command. 

"Late  in  the  afternoon,"  he  continued,  "after  I  had 
given  up  all  hopes  of  rejoining  the  regiment  in  season  to 
take  any  part  in  the  action,  General  Foster,  with  a  couple 
of  bis  aides,  came  riding  along.  lie  stopped  and  told  us 
the  news  himself.  'They  have  surrendered!  —  2,000 
prisoners  !  They  asked  what  terms  I  would  give  them  : 
I  'said  an  unconditional  surrender,  and  they  accepted ! ' 
The  men  didn't  give  him  time  to  finish.  Up  went  the 
caps,  and  up  went  the  cheers,  and  up  went  the  men 


62  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

bodily ;  their  loads  didn't  weigh  a  feather.  He  inquired 
about  the  ammunition,  and  passed  on." 

The  part  of  the  Tenth  in  the  engagement  had  been 
prominent  and  honorable,  and  its  losses  severe.  Gallant 
Colonel  Russell  had  been  killed  early  in  the  action.  Other 
brave  officers  and  good  men  had  given  the  testimony  of 
blood  to  their  patriotism.  To  one  who  had  so  longed  for 
the  privilege  of  an  active  part  in  the  nation's  life-struggle 
as  Henry  Camp,  the  disappointment  of  being  separated 
from  his  regiment,  at  the  decisive  hour  of  such  a  contest, 
was  bitter  and  enduring.  The  thrilling  narrative  of  the 
excitements  and  perils  of  the  day,  to  which  he  listened 
with  profoundest  interest  by  the  bivouac  fire  on  the  stormy 
night  succeeding,  and  every  repetition  of  its  noteworthy 
incidents,  from  brother-officers,  on  subsequent  occasions, 
only  intensified  his  regret,  and  deepened  his  sense  of  per- 
sonal loss. 

"The  more  I  think  of  my  own  absence,"  he  wrote  a 
few  days  later,  "the  more  it  provokes  me.  Not  that  I, 
or  any  one  else,  feel  as  if  I  was  at  all  to  blame  for  it ;  but 
it  has  drawn  a  sort  of  line  between  me  and  all  the  rest. 
They  shared  the  danger,  and,  of  course,  share  the  exultation 
of  the  battle.  I  can  only  rejoice  as  I  would  over  any  other 
victory.  They  have  all  been  tested,  and  stood  the  test. 
I  am  still  untried.  They,  in  short,  are  the  victors  in  one 
of  the  most  glorious  battles  —  perhaps  the  very  most  so  — 
that  have  yet  been  fought.  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it : 


NOT  IN  THE  BATTLE.  63 

« 
even  my  wretched  ammunition  wasn't  needed  or  used. 

It's  very  doubtful  whether  our  regiment  has  another 
chance.  Even  if  there  is  another  fight  at  Newbcrne,  the 
second  brigade  will  probably  claim  and  receive  the  advance. 
At  the  best,  I  shall  always  be  one  behind  the  rest,  — have 
one  less  deed  to  remember  and  be  proud  of. 

"  I  don't  like  to  think  of  all  ray  friends  who  know  that 
the  Tenth  Connecticut  distinguished  itself,  inquiring  where 
I  was,  and  what  I  was  about ;  and  what  will  provoke  me 
most  of  all  will  be  the  attempt  I  know  some  of  them  will 
make  to  persuade  me  they  think  it  was  just  as  well,  all 
the  same  thing,  and  all  that  humbug.  Any  thing  but  that ! 
If  the  war  should  come  to  an  end,  as  I  suppose  I  ought 
to  hope  it  will,  without  my  having  been  in  battle,  I  shall 
never  want  to  show  my  face  again  at  home ;  not  that  I 
shall  have  any  thing  to  be  ashamed  of,  but  that  I  sha'n't 
have  any  thing  else.  There's  enough  of  grumbling !  —  it's 
babyish,  and  does  no  good:  but  that's  just  the  way  I 
feel  about  it ;  and  now  that  I've  cried  my  cry  out,  I'll 
stop." 

The  troops  remained  but  a  few  days  on  shore  at  Roanoke 
Island.  Re-embarking,  they  made  several  demonstrations 
up  Pamlico  Sound;  but  the  advance  to  Newberne  was 
delayed  until  the  following  month.  During  the  weeks  of 
waiting  on  shipboard,  before  and  after  the  first  landing, 
Camp's  home  letters  were  full  and  varied,  showing  him  in 
his  true  light  as  the  man  of  cheerfulness,  of  honor,  of 


64  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

»• 

courage,  of  patriotism,  of  purity,  of  poetry,  and  of  Chris- 
tian faith. 

"  I  have  just  been  hearing,"  he  wrote,  "  part  of  a  letter 
from  the  'New -York  Times,'  about  this  expedition, 
written  at  Hatteras ;  very  accurate  in  its  statements ;  but 
I  really  hadn't  realized  before  what  a  hard  time  we  have 
had  of  it.  It  sounds  quite  formidable,  all  boiled  down 
and  concentrated  into  the  space  of  one  newspaper  column  ; 
but  taken  in  small  doses,  as  we  have  had  it,  at  considera- 
ble intervals,  it  hasn't  seemed  to  amount  to  so  much. 
We  have  concluded,  since  reading  it,  to  set  up  for  martyrs : 
the  idea  hadn't  occurred  to  us  before. 

"  These  things  are  not  half  as  hard  as  they  sound  ;  they 
are  just  what  we  anticipate,  and  go  prepared  for;  very 
different  from  what  they  would  be  to  one  fresh  from  home, 
without  the  hardening  process  which  we  have  already 
undergone  in  camp." 

It  was  thus  that  he  sought  to  encourage  his  friends  at 
home  as  to  his  personal  trials  and  privations  on  the  close, 
cramped,  and  filthy  transport.  If  he  mentioned  these  at 
all,  it  was  in  a  burlesque  strain  that  hardly  made  an  appeal 
for  pitying  sympathy.  Thus  from  the  "  Swash :  "  — 

"  The  poor  fellows  down  in  the  hold  would  be  glad 
to  stretch  their  legs  ashore,  I  know.  They  are  terribly 
crowded.  They  are  packed  so  close  at  night,  that,  wlien 
they  have  lain  long  enough  on  one  side,  somebody  sings 
out,  '  Hard-a-lee,'  and  over  they  all  go  together,  just  as  wo 


ON  THE  TRANSPORT.  t>5 

used  to  hoist  the  signal,  '  Leg  over,'  in  the  recitation-room 
at  college,  and  astonish  the  tutors  with  a  simultaneous 
whisk  from  one  side  to  the  other.  This  is  a  little  more 
practical. 

.  .  .  "All  our  water  is  brought  from  Baltimore:  it 
costs  seven  cents  a  gallon,  delivered  at  Annapolis.  It 
isn't  first-rate,  though  the  barrel  we  are  now  on  answers 
well  enough.  The  flavor  depends  on  what  the  barrel  held 
before.  This  was  a  whiskey  barrel :  those  we  have  had  — 
kerosene  and  turpentine  —  were  not  so  good.  .  .  . 

"  I'll  venture  to  say  that  there's  no  spot  in  the  United 
States  where  there  are  more  men,  boys,  negroes,  and 
cockroaches,  to  the  square  foot,  than  in  the  cabin  of  the 
'  E.  W.  Farrington.'  The  first  three  I'm  used  to,  —  can 
stand  being  crowded  by  them ;  but  this  having  cockroaches 
hold  a  door  when  one  tries  to  open  it,  and  pull  his  blankets 
off  from  him  at  night,  is  something  new.  We  have  held 
our  own  pretty  well ;  but  they  are  gradually  getting  the 
upper  hand  of  us  :  infantry  are  no  match  for  them,  and  we 
talk  of  getting  a  few  artillerymen,  with  their  guns,  from 
Fort  Hatteras.  I  thought  of  putting  a  few  specimens  into 
the  box  of  curiosities  I  send  home,  making  a  regular 
infernal  machine  of  it ;  but,  reflecting  that  you  have  no 
arms  but  the  old  Revolutionary  sword,  concluded  to  wait." 

Of  the  national  situation  just  then,  before  the  brilliant 
victories  on  the  Western  waters  had  re-assured  confidence  in 
the  Federal  cause,  and  while  enemies  at  the  North  were 
5 


66  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

co-operating  with  enemies  beyond  the  seas  to  give  encour- 
agement and  aid  to  treason  and  to  traitors,  he  spoke  with 
firmness  and  courage. 

"  Things  abroad  do  look  pretty  dark  for  us,  don't  they? 
if  foreign  newspapers  at  all  reflect  the  feelings  of  their 
governments.  It  is  a  hard  fight  now  :  European  interven- 
tion would  make  it  well-nigh  desperate.  I  hope  that  our 
Government  will  stand  firm  at  all  hazards,  and  that  the 
North  will  sustain  such  a  policy  until  the  last  dollar  is 
gone,  the  last  village  burned  to  the  ground,  and  the  last 
able-bodied  man  has  fallen  on  the  battle-field;  but  I'm 
afraid  they  haven't  the  resolution  and  the  self-denial  to 
hold  out  to  the  end.  I  am  afraid  that  danger  and  disaster 
will  develop  cowardice,  as  they  always  do,  and  we  shall 
be  left  to  the  fate  we  shall  then  deserve.  I  haven't  really 
looked  upon  such  a  thing  as  possible,  hitherto  :  it  need  not 
be  now,  if  the  nation  will  only  put  forth  its  strength  ;  but 
will  it  ?  That's  the  question.  I  don't  see  how  any  man, 
who  can  do  any  thing,  can  be  inactive  now,  when  every 
day  of  his  life  is  worth  a  century." 

Referring  to  the  advance  of  the  troops  up  Roanoke 
Island  after  the  battle,  and  their  visits  to  the  camps  and 
homes  of  the  enemy,  he  gave  expression  to  his  refined 
sense  of  honor  as  a  truly  chivalrous  soldier. 

"  Besides  many  other  articles  taken  from  the  field  or 
from  houses,  a  number  of  letters  were  found,  curious 
specimens  enough,  some  of  them,  in  point  both  of  manner 


POETIC  MUSINGS.  67 

and  matter,  —  on  all  subjects,  from  love  to  shoe-pegs. 
I  was  almost  ashamed  of  myself  for  listening  while  some 
of  them  were  being  read.  I  don't  know  what  title  a 
victory  gives  one  to  pry  into  other  men's  private  matters 
in  this  way,  those  at  least  of  a  domestic  or  social  nature ; 
and  it  really  seems  too  bad.  This  letter  business  strikes 
me  as  a  very  different  thing  from  the  transfer  of  ordinary 
property,  according  to  the  rule  which  every  one  recognizes, 
that  to  the  victors  belong  the  spoils." 

Surely  a  college-mate  esteemed  him  rightly  who  wrote, 
on  hearing  of  his  death,  "  I  can  conceive  nothing  knightlier 
than  Henry  Camp,  the  soldier.  All  the  graces  of  valor, 
loyalty,  and  generosity  must  have  sat  upon  him,  and  made 
him  the  very  flower  of  our  heroic  youth.  Great-Heart  is 
the  name  that  became  him.  Like  Buuyan's  knight,  he 
has  overcome,  and  passed  on  and  up  before  us  to  the 
better  country." 

A  few  nights  before  the  battle  of  Newbernc,  he  wrote : — 
"  It  has  been  a  beautiful  day,  and  the  fleet  was  a  fine 
sight,  at  noon,  as  it  stretched  in  long  line  from  east  to 
west,  moving  steadily,  and  with  a  look  of  power  that  was 
magnificent.  No  land  in  sight,  except  a  few  blue  lines  at 
intervals  along  the  horizon ;  and  again  at  sunset,  when  the 
sun,  which  had  been  for  some  hours  clouded,  came  out 
and  lit  the  whole  scene  most  gorgeously.  I  climbed  the 
shrouds,  and  stayed  aloft  until  it  began  to  grow  dark.  It 
isn't  often,  in  an  ordinary  lifetime,  that  one  sees  a  sight 


68  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

better  worth  looking  at  than  that  was.  It's  very  true  that 
soldiering  isn't  all  poetry,  according  to  some ;  but  neither 
is  it  all  prose,  according  to  others. 

"  I  wish  I  was  good  at  description.  I'd  like  to  paint 
you  a  scene  occasionally,  so  that  you  could  see  it  as  you 
can  Scott's  or  Longfellow's.  And  that  /,  of  all  men,  who 
have  never  pictured  to  myself,  even  in  imagination,  any 
but  the  most  commonplace,  dog-trot  sort  of  a  life,  should 
be  in  the  midst  of  what  seems  to  me,  even  now,  more  like 
romance  than  fact,  —  I  can't  realize  it  more  than  half  the 
time." 

It  was  after  such  an  evening  of  poetic  musing  that  he 
wrote  the  following  lines,  —  as  stately  and  as  graceful  as 
his  own  manly  form,  and  as  warm  as  his  own  loving  heart. 
They  shortly  after  appeared  anonymously  in  the  "  Hartford 
Evening  Press :  "  — 

BETWEEN  ROANOKE  AND  NEWBERNE. 

The  swift-winged  Northern  breezes  are  blowing  fair  and  free : 
I  pace  by  night  the  spray-wet  deck,  and  watch  the  rushing  sea; 
The  whistling  of  the  shrill-voiced  wind  is  full  of  speech  to  me: 
It  stretches  taut  the  swelling  sail,  it  crests  the  wave  with  foam: 
I  drink  its  bracing  freshness ;  it  is  the  breath  of  home. 

From  hoary  monarch  mountains,  whose  giant  cliffs,  piled  high, 
Lift  up  their  snow-crowned  foreheads  against  the  clear,  cold  sky,  — 
From  forests  dark  with  shadow,  where  pine  and  cedar  fling 
Music  and  fragrance  mingled  upon  the  zephyr's  wing,  — 
From  leaping  white-maned  torrents,  that  thunder  on  their  way, 
Cleaving  a  path  of  madness  through  splintered  granite  gray, — 


A  NIGHT  BIVOUAC.  69 

From  every  hill  and  valley,  —  from  every  rock  and  tree, — 

New  England  sends  a  deep-drawn  breath,  far  o'er  the  Southern  sea. 

Slowly  the  anxious  hours  passed  on  in  dark  suspense 

With  breathing  hushed  to  silence,  and  nerve  and  heartstring  tense: 

Now  swells  from  heaving  bosom  the  sigh  of  deep  relief, 

Too  sad  for  shout  of  triumph,  too  proud  for  sob  of  grief,  — 

The  banners  of  our  victory  wave  o'er  a  fallen  chief.  * 

Yet  welcome,  at  whatever  price,  the  Nation's  leap  to  life : 
Rather  than  deathly  stupor,  hail  to  the  deadly  strife ! 
From  East  to  West,  the  solid  tramp  of  armies  shakes  the  ground; 
The  vibrant  clang  of  ringing  steel  fills  all  the  air  with  sound; 
The  sword,  so  long  uplifted,  sweeps  down  in  sudden  wrath: 
Right  through  the  hosts  of  treason,  it  hews  its  crimson  path. 

Before  its  edge  of  terror,  shrinks  back  the  rebel  foe, 
As  leaves  that  curl  before  the  breath  of  Etna's  fiery  flow; 
Again  is  bared  the  red  right  arm  another  blow  to  smite; 
Already  blaze  the  signals  that  tell  of  coming  fight,  — 
To-morrow's  sun  shall  set  in  blood,  —  Amen !  —  God  speed  the  right ! 

On  the  13th  of  March,  the  troops  landed  at  Slocum's 
Creek,  about  fifteen  miles  below  Newberne,  and  marched 
some  ten  miles  in  a  drenching  rain  toward  the  city. 
There  was  another  night  of  bivouac  in  a  pelting  storm,  as 
at  Roanoke,  to  the  sore  discomfort  of  all. 

"I  stood  before  the  fire,"  wrote  Camp,  cheerfully,  of 
that  night,  "  until  I  was  tolerably  dry  ;  took  my  blankets, 
which  the  india-rubber  had  kept  in  good  order,  for  a  seat ; 

*  Colonel  Russell  of  the  Tenth. 


70  TEE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

leaned  my  back  against  a  stack  of  rifles,  and  slept  three 
or  four  hours  quite  comfortably.  I  believe,  with  a  little 
practice,  I  could  sleep  standing  on  one  foot  or  on  my  head  : 
it's  all  habit,  and  I'm  quite  getting  over  the  foolish  preju- 
dice in  favor  of  lying  down, —  especially  on  any  thing  soft." 

An  early  start  was  made  on  the  morning  of  the  14th, 
and  an  advance  toward  the  enemy's  intrenched  position. 
It  was  not  long  before  Camp  had  the  desired  opportunity 
to  test  himself  in  battle. 

"I  was  afraid,"  he  wrote,  "we  shouldn't  reach  the 
front  before  the  affair  was  over ;  but  very  soon  the  order 
came  to  turn  aside  from  the  road,  and  march  through  the 
fields  to  a  position  further  to  the  left.  We  took  an  oblique 
direction,  and  hadn't  gone  a  hundred  rods  when  a  loud, 
swift  whiz  went  through  the  air,  sounding  as  if  some  one 
had  torn  a  thousand  yards  of  canvas  from  one  end  to  the 
other  at  a  single  pull.  Almost  everybody  involuntarily 
looked  up  (I  did),  as  if  we  could  have  seen  it  pass, 
when  it  was  far  beyond  us  when  the  sound  first  struck  our 
ears.  Some  stooped,  —  one  or  two  crouching  close  to  the 
earth,  and  hardly  ready  to  rise  until  they  were  sharply 
started.  A  few  yards  further,  and  there  was  another,  — 
this  time  apparently  passing  but  a  little  above  our  heads ; 
then  another,  and  still  more ;  some  further,  and  some 
nearer,  —  every  one  causing  more  or  less  dodging,  and  an 
occasional  irregularity  in  the  ranks,  promptly  checked,  as 
far  as  possible,  by  the  officers.  We  passed  obliquely  into 


FIGHTING.  71 

the  woods,  and  were  ordered  to  lie  down  just  behind  the 
crest  of  a  slightly  inclining  slope.  The  men  were  behaving 
well  enough ;  but  they  didn't  wait  to  hear  the  order  twice. 
I  never  saw  a  crowd  drop  quite  so  suddenly  as  they  did. 
As  we  lay  on  the  marshy  ground,  bullets  flew  thick ;  some 
seeming  to  pass  only  two  or  three  feet  over  us :  one  entered 
the  ground  just  at  the  elbow  of  one  of  the  men.  Occasion- 
ally there  would  be  none  beard  for  some  little  time,  then  a 
perfect  shower  would  hiss  along,  with  a  sharp  '  thud  '  now 
and  then  as  one  struck  a  tree  close  by.  Grape  rattled 
through  once  or  twice,  generally  passing  high ;  though  I 
saw  the  water  dashed  up  by  it,  from  a  pool  a  little  to  the 
right.  We  had  been  in  this  position  perhaps  twenty  or 
thirty  minutes,  when  an  order  came  for  us  to  march  to  the 
front,  and  open  fire  immediately.  '  Now,'  said  I,  '  it's 
coming :  in  about  three  minutes  we  shall  see  who's  who, 
and  what's  what.'  The  fire  of  the  enemy,  at  this  time, 
seemed  to  be  directed  elsewhere.  Wo  advanced  to  the 
edge  of  the  woods,  formed  line  of  battle,  and  prepared  to 
fire,  without,  I  think,  their  having  observed  us  at  all. 

"  We  knew  that,  as  soon  as  we  discovered  our  situation 
by  firing,  wo  should  be  answered ;  but,  in  the  mean  time, 
we  had  opportunity  to  form  and  dress  the  line  without 
disturbance.  It  had  scarcely  been  done,  when  our  right 
opened  fire  ;  and  it  passed  rapidly  down  the  line  toward  us. 
The  men  were,  for  the  moment,  wild  with  excitement,  and 
waited  for  no  orders,  but  raised  their  pieces  and  fired,  — 


72  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

half  of  them  without  taking  aim.  I  checked  those  who 
were  near  me.  But  soon  the  order  was  given,  and  at  it 
they  went  again,  —  loading  and  firing  just  as  rapidly  as 
they  could  handle  their  pieces. 

"  We  could  sec  the  puffs  of  smoke  rise  from  the  breast- 
works in  front  of  us,  and  once  or  twice  a  momentary  slack- 
ening of  our  own  volleys  allowed  us  to  hear  the  whistle 
of  bullets.  It  didn't  need  that  to  make  the  reports  of 
artillery,  and  roar  of  solid  shot  through  the  air,  audible ; 
but  it  was  some  little  time  before  I  saw  any  effects  of  their 
reply  to  us.  I  had  been  moving  from  one  to  another, 
rectifying  the  aim  of  some  who  fired  high,  and  seeing  to  it, 
that  they  understood  what  they  were  about,  when  I  saw  a 
man  who  had  been  lying  on  the  ground  a  few  yards  to  the 
left,  roll  suddenly  over.  I  turned  toward  him  ;  but  some 
one  was  already  supporting  his  head,  as  the  blood  gushed 
over  his  face  from  a  hideous  wound  :  a  bullet  had  entered 
his  eye,  and  lodged  in  the  lower  part  of  his  head.  Several 
of  the  men  gathered  around ;  but  I  sent  them  back  to  their 
places,  and  they  went  without  a  word.  Most  of  them 
behaved  excellently  throughout,  listening  to  orders,  and 
obeying  them  promptly,  after  the  wild  excitement  of  the 
first  few  rounds  was  over. 

"  We  were  still  firing  rapidly,  when  cheering  rose  loud 
in  front ;  and,  in  a  moment  more,  our  flag  appeared,  waving 
from  the  parapet  of  the  breastwork.  They  cheered  on 
the  right,  and  they  cheered  on  the  left,  and  they  cheered 


UNDER   FIRE.  73 

before  us,  and  wo  cheered ;  and  had  hardly  finished 
cheering  when  the  order  came  to  resume  our  march. 
The  battle  was  over,  and  we  had  only  to  take  possession 
of  Newberne." 

Camp  had  passed  bravely  the  ordeal  of  battle.  So  cool 
was  he,  seemingly  unmoved  when  the  fight  was  hottest, 
and  those  about  him  most  excited,  that  the  men  of  his 
company  called  him  their  Iron  Man,  and  told  how  efficient 
he  was,  in  directing  the  fire  of  some,  in  giving  assistance 
to  others  whoso  pieces  were  out  of  order,  and  in  speaking 
encouraging  words  to  all,  ever  with  "  the  same  pleasant 
look  in  his  face." 

"  As  to  my  own  feelings,"  he  said,  in  his  home  letter, 
"  I  can't  describe  them  any  more  than  I  could  when  I 
tried  before.  They  were  much  the  same,  only  less  in 
degree,  as  when  we  were  marching  into  action  at  Roanokc. 
I  was  thoroughly  excited  internally,  and  every  nerve  was 
tense ;  but  I  can't  accuse  myself  of  any  tendency  to  avoid 
the  danger  I  felt,  or  even  of  dodging  bullets,  as  I  have 
heard  that  most  men  involuntarily  do  when  they  are  first 
under  fire.  This  excitement  of  nerves  continued  until  the 
action  fairly  commenced,  and  then  seemed  to  wear  off 
rapidly,  until,  after  we  had  been  engaged  a  few  minutes. 
I  felt  as  cool,  and,  I  thought  then,  as  natural  as  ever.  It 
couldn't  have  been  natural  though ;  for  I  have  been  shocked 
since  to  think  how  little  I  cared  for  the  poor  fellows  that 
were  wounded.  The  reason,  I  suppose,  that  the  danger 


74  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

ceased  to  affect  me  was,  that  I  had  something  more  impor- 
tant to  occupy  my  mind.  I  thought  of  it,  of  course,  but 
was  too  busy  to  pay  any  attention  to  it." 

In  another  letter,  describing  the  battle  to  his  friend 
Owen,  he  said, — 

"  The  sensation  of  coming  under  fire  is,  to  me,  very 
much  like  that  I  used  to  feel  in  boat-racing,  —  exceedingly 
nervous  business  waiting  for  the  signal  to  give  way,  but 
comfortable  enough  as  soon  as  there  is  an  opportunity  to 
work  off  the  surplus  excitement.  How  a  bayonet  charge 
or  a  repulse  of  cavalry  might  seem,  I  can  not  tell ;  but 
there  has  been  nothing  in  such  work  as  has  fallen  to  us 
hitherto,  more  exciting  than  there  was  for  the  oarsmen  in 
one  of  our  grand  boat-races  between  Harvard  and  Yale." 

The  bridge  across  the  Trent  being  burned  by  the  rebels, 
there  was  a  delay  of  some  hours  in  transporting  the  troops 
of  Foster's  brigade,  on  gunboats,  to  the  city  bank  of  the 
river.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  10th  marched  through 
the  streets  of  Newberne  to  the  old  Fair  Grounds,  and, 
taking  possession  of  the  just  deserted  camp  of  the  Thirty- 
tbird  North-Carolina  Regiment,  made  ready  for  a  night  of 
rest.  Not  many  officers  would  speak  as  cheerfully  of  a 
detail  for  guard-duty,  under  such  circumstances,  as  did 
Lieutenant  Camp  when  called  upon  that  evening. 

"I  was  too  tired,"  he  said,  "to  spend  much  time 
looking  about  me, — was  reflecting  how  nicely  I  should 
feel  inside  my  blankets  in  about  five  minutes  (it  was  now 


KINDNESS    TO   SOLDIERS.  75 

two  or  three  Lours  after  dark),  and  bad  just  pulled  off  my 
boots  for  the  first  time  since  I  left  the  vessel,  when  the 
adjutant  cauie  in.  '  You'll  have  to  put  them  on  again,' 
said  he.  '  You  are  detailed,  with  thirty  men  from  your 
company,  to  do  provost  guard-duty.  Can  you  stand  it '/ ' 
It  was  rather  tough  after  two  such  days ;  but  I  was  less 
tired  than  most  of  the  rest.  I  find  that  my  endurance  is 
greater  than  that  of  men  who  consider  themselves  tough. 
My  old  training  stands  me  in  good  stead,  and  especially 
my  habits  of  walking.  I  haven't  yet  been  so  tired  by  any 
march  as  not  to  feel  equal  to  ten  miles  more,  though  I 
mightn't  have  been  anxious  to  carry  my  overcoat  and 
equipments  along.  But  the  men,  —  I  really  hated  to  call 
out  some  of  them,  poor  fellows,  hardly  able  to  drag  one 
foot  after  the  other." 

This  considerate  regard  for  the  men  who  were  under 
him,  showed  itself  in  all  his  home-letters,  and  also  —  to 
those  who  knew  him  well  —  in  his  conversation  and  actions. 
His  quiet,  undemonstrative  ways  prevented  its  being  fully 
understood  by  all.  His  calm  diguity  of  demeanor  was  not 
unfrequently  deemed  an  indication  of  coldness  or  hauteur. 
Never  a  greater  mistake.  His  heart  was  far  warmer,  and 
his  feelings  kindlier,  than  could  be  judged  from  his  modest 
reticence  and  his  shrinking  reserve  of  manner. 

At  Newberne  there  was  a  long  season  of  comparative 
quiet.  As  the  spring  mouths  passed  away,  Camp  grew 
iv.-tive. 


76  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  Save  me,"  ho  wrote,  "  from  a  summer  in  Newberne, 
or  any  other  one  place.  Our  life,  except  when  in  active 
service,  is  mere  machine-work,  at  best;  endurable,  even 
enjoyable,  by  way  of  preparation  for  something  better,  but, 
as  a  '  regular  beverage,'  altogether  insipid  and  flat.  Our 
wits  grow  rusty  in  this  tread-mill  business, — that's  the 
worst  of  it.  I  was  beginning  a  while  ago  [on  the  transport] 
to  fear  that  the  result  of  our  campaigning  would  be  in 
having  more  brains  softened  from  within  than  perforated 
from  without." 

Yet  Newberne  life  was  not  without  its  activities.  Picket- 
ing in  the  face  of  the  enemy  was  something  new  to  the 
soldiers  of  the  Tenth ;  and  there  was  an  occasional  alarm 
or  skirmish  on  the  outer  lines,  that  gave  zest  to  the  service. 
Of  the  first  march  to  the  picket  front,  Camp  wrote  :  — 

"  All  the  negro  huts  in  the  outskirts  sent  out  large 
delegations  to  the  gates  to  watch  us  go  by,  evidently 
enjoying  the  sight  hugely.  One  old  woman  stood  in  her 
doorway,  beaming  upon  us  most  graciously,  and  addressing 
us  as  we  came  opposite,  '  I  hopes  you  is  all  well,  genlin,' 
getting  a  volley  of  answers  from  our  men." 

It  was  on  one  of  the  earlier  tours  of  picket-duty,  that 
Camp's  coolness  and  courage  stood  out  prominently  in  an 
emergency.  Another  lieutenant  had  taken  out  a  scouting- 
party  of  a  dozen  men,  beyond  the  lines,  to  obtain  informa- 
tion, and,  if  possible,  to  pick  up  a  prisoner  or  two ;  having 
been  told  by  the  negroes  that  small  squads  of  the  enemy 


A    PICKET   ALARM.  77 

sometimes  came  down  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
Union  position.  While  this  ]>;'.rty  was  out,  Captain  Otis 
and  Lieutenant  Camp  were  eating  dinner  in  a  cabin  near 
the  picket-reserve,  "when  suddenly,"  as  Camp  described 
it,  "  while  we  were  enjoying  our  hoe-cake  and  bacon,  two 
or  three  of  the  negroes  in  the  cabin  exclaimed  in  a  low 
tone,  '  Do  Southerners  comin' !  do  Southerners  corain' ! ' 
Wo  seized  our  swords,  which  we  had  laid  aside  so  as  to  eat 
with  more  comfort,  and  stepped  to  the  door  just  as  one  of 
the  cavalrymen  dismounted  from  a  horse,  panting  and 
covered  with  sweat.  '  Every  one  of  your  men,'  said  he, 
'  is  killed  or  taken  prisoner ! '  A  glance  showed  that  ho 
did  not  refer,  as  one  would  naturally  think,  to  our  reserve 
across  the  way ;  and  we  knew  he  must  bo  speaking  of  the 
scouting-party.  The  affair  had  taken  place,  he  said,  a  few 
minutes  before,  at  a  distance  of  two  or  three  miles.  The 
enemy  were  still  advancing,  —  a  largo  force  of  cavalry. 
He  and  two  others  had  put  their  horses  to  speed,  and 
escaped;  but  all  those  on  foot,  and  one  or  two  of  the 
mounted  men,  were  either  shot  or  taken.  By  this  timo, 
the  other  two  came  in  sight,  their  horses  on  the  full  run. 
I  half  expected  to  see  the  rebels  on  their  heels ;  but 
they  drew  rein,  and  came  up  to  report.  Their  story  was 
less  alarming  than  that  of  the  first,  —  who  was,  I  think, 
the  most  frightened  fellow  I  ever  saw.  They  said  our 
men  had  been  surprised  by  a  party  of  cavalry,  and  had 
taken  to  the  woods.  They  had  seen  none  killed  or  taken, 


78  THE  KNIGUTLY  SOLDIER. 

though  several  volleys  were  fired,  —  couldn't  be  sure,  how- 
ever, being  hard  pressed  themselves,  and  only  saved  by 
the  speed  of  their  horses  and  the  poor  aim  of  the  enemy. 
We  saw  that  we  ourselves  were  in  no  danger ;  and  the 
reserve,  which  had  been  called  to  arms,  was  dismissed." 

It  was  no  slight  evidence  of  character,  for  a  young 
lieutenant,  inexperienced  in  border  warfare,  to  rise  at 
once  above  the  influences  of  a  picket  alarm,  at  that  stage 
of  the  war,  and  propose  to  go  out,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy, 
to  the  rescue  of  his  endangered  comrades.  Lieutenant 
Camp's  impulse  prompted  him  to  an  instant  suggestion  of 
this  kind.  • 

"  I  thought,"  he  wrote,  "  that  a  party  ought  to  be  sent 
out  immediately  to  find  our  men,  who  were  probably  in 
the  woods,  not  daring  to  retake  the  road  until  they  were 
certain  that  the  enemy  had  retired.  Captain  Otis  finally 
said,  that,  if  the  men  chose  to  volunteer,  he  wouldn't 
object." 

Volunteers  being  called  for,  eight  men  of  the  Tenth 
came  promptly  forward.  Besides  these,  four  of  the  horse- 
men—  artillerymen  acting  as  cavalry  —  were  induced  to 
go  along  as  advance  skirmishers;  and  Camp  started  at 
once  on  his  scout.  His  cavalry  did  not  please  him. 
"  Their  failing,  certainly,  wasn't  lack  of  vigilance.  They 
walked  their  horses,  with  revolvers  drawn,  and  one  eye 
cocked  over  the  shoulder,  ready  to  run.  My  men," 
he  added,  with  pride  in  the  brave  fellows,  "would  have 


HOME    THOUGHTS.  79 

marched  straight  upon  Goldsborough,  if  I  had  only  ajked 
them  to."  The  enterprise  was  entirely  successful.  The 
scattered  party  were  found,  a  few  at  a  time,  until  there 
was  but  one  missing  and  unaccounted  for.  "  As  there 
then  was  no  more  than  time  to  go  back  before  sunset,  it 
seemed  unwise  to  wait  any  longer ;  and  we  returned,  having 
at  length  accomplished  what  we  went  out  for.  It  was  dark 
when  we  reached  the  reserve ;  and  they  had  begun  to  grow 
anxious  about  us,  having  expected  us  back  hours  before. 
The  other  man  came  in  the  next  morning,  having  spent 
the  night  in  the  woods.  The  whole  thing  ended  much 
better  than  any  of  us  anticipated." 

In  the  full  and  free  sketches  of  such  exploits  as  this,  in 
his  home-letters,  never  a  boastful  word  is  found  of  his  own 
performance,  although  praise  is  given  heartily  to  all  who 
were  with  him,  and  did  well.  His  modesty  equaled  his 
courage  and  his  nobleness. 

Each  new  call  upon  his  energies  seemed  to  give  Camp 
fresh  satisfaction  in  his  work.  "  I  am  contented  now," 
he  wrote,  "  for  the  first  time  in  three  years.  It  doesn't 
seem  as  if  the  old  fret  ever  need  come  back,  — perhaps  it 
will."  Then,  as  showing  that  his  heart  was  in  no  degree 
weaned  from  the  loved  ones  at  home,  he  added,  "  I  never 
realized  before,  as  I  do  now,  the  difference  between  a  dear 
old  New-England  home  and  the  rest  of  the  world.  I  long 
to  see  you  all,  —  you  know  how,  —  but  not  enough  to  wish 
to  leave  unfinished  that  which  we  came  to  do.  I  want  to 


80  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

see  a  workmanlike  job  made  of  it, — no  botch-work. 
I  want  to  help  put  in  the  last  touches,  and  then  won't  we 
all  be  glad  to  come  back  ?  You  know  how  I  felt  about  it 
when  I  left  home :  I  feel  just  so  now.  I  have  always 
been  glad  that  I  came,  and  think,  whether  I  return  or  not, 
that  I  always  shall  be." 

In  response  to  the  suggestion  from  home,  that  he  ought 
to  be  satisfied  with  going  into  danger  when  he  was  ordered 
there,  he  wrote  :  — 

"As  to  volunteering,  its  being  my  duty  simply  to 
obey  orders,  &c.,  —  I  am  sure,  when  you  think  of  it,  that 
you  would  have  me  do  as  much,  not  as  little,  as  possible. 
I  certainly  won't  run  any  unnecessary  risks, — risks  which 
it  is  not  necessary  that  somebody  should  run ;  but,  when 
there  is  work  to  be  done,  I  want  to  do  it.  That,  you 
know,  was  the  idea  with  which  I  started,  and  the  more 
opportunity  I  have  to  carry  it  into  practice,  the  more  I 
shall  feel  as  though  I  were  accomplishing  my  object.  If 
men  are  sent  where  they  should  not  be,  the  more  need 
they  have  of  officers  to  lead  them  through  with  as  little 
loss  as  possible,  and  neutralize  a  blunder,  if  it  is  a  blunder, 
by  all  the  means  which  can  be  used.  For  my  own  sake, 
as  well  as  for  yours, — and  that  I  may  accomplish  the  more, 
—  I  intend  to  be  prudent,  and  do  nothing  fool-hardy,  or 
that  my  calm  judgment  doesn't  approve.  What  it  docs, 
I  know  you  would  not  have  me  avoid." 

Henry  Camp  wished  to  live  to  a  purpose,  and  if  lie 


IMPATIENCE   AT  INACTION.  81 


must  die,  to  die  to  a  purpose.  His  desire  was  to  be 
he  could  accomplish  most  for  the  cause  that  had  his  heart. 
He  did  not  seek  his  own  advancement.  lie  did  not  crave 
a  place  of  danger.  But  ho  was  never  content,  except  at 
the  post  of  duty  ;  and  he  longed  for  that  to  be  just  where 
his  every  blow  would  be  most  effective  for  the  right. 
Referring  to  unimportant  scouts  from  Newberne,  and  to 
trifling  engagements  on  the  picket-line,  he  said,  — 

"  There  would  be  no  satisfaction  at  all  in  being  shot  or 
captured  in  one  of  these  miserable  little  skirmishes  where 
neither  side  could  possibly  gain  any  thing  worth  a  single 
life,  —  a  very  different  thing  from  falling  in  battle." 

Again  he  wrote  :  — 

"  I  should  like  to  have  a  share  in  the  grand  blows  of 
the  Army  of  the  East.  Our  outrof-the-way  performances, 
down  here,  don't  seem  to  amount  to  much  by  themselves  ; 
and  yet  we've  had  sharp  work,  —  it's  no  exaggeration  to 
say  so.  The  list  of  casualities  looks  small  alongside  of 
what  you  read  of  in  the  great  battles  of  the  West  ;  yet, 
when  you  come  to  compare  the  numbers  engaged,  we  lost 
as  many  in  four  hours  at  Newberne  as  they  did  in  two  days 
at  Pittsburg  Landing,  or  in  three  at  Fort  Donelson,  —  as 
large  a  percentage,  I  mean,  of  course." 

Later,  when  the  Peninsular  campaign  was  at  its  bight, 
he  wrote  in  the  same  strain  :  — 

"  We  groan  in  spirit  at  having  to  stay  here  idle  while 
the  fight  at  Richmond  is  so  fierce,  every  man  needed,  — 


82  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

every  man  there  worth  a  hundred  elsewhere.  Nothing 
else  that  the  war  can  bring  forth  will  furnish  cause  for  so 
proud  a  satisfaction  as  to  have  thrown  one's  weight  into 
the  scale  while  the  balance  yet  trembled.  What  is  left  to 
do  will  be  boy's  play  in  comparison,  —  as  has  been  all 
before  on  this  side  the  Alleghanies.  When  the  race  is 
won,  there's  nothing  like  feeling  that  you  pulled  a  good 
oar  on  the  home  stretch."  Then,  as  showing  his  real 
interest  in  hard  service,  he  added,  "  I  don't  want  to  fight 
for  the  sake  of  fighting,  but  for  the  sake  of  accomplishing 
something  that  will  tell  upon  the  grand  result."  For  that 
grand  result,  he  was  ready  to  toil  or  to  suffer,  or  willing, 
if  need  be,  to  wait.  "I  have  chosen,"  he  said,  "the 
sphere  in  which  I  think  I  can  work  most  efficiently  for 
God  and  my  country;  and,  if  we  have  thirty-years'  war 
instead  of  three,  I  expect  to  see  it  through,  — or  as  much 
of  it  as  comes  in  my  lifetime." 


CHAPTER    V. 

CAMP  LITE  AND   CAMPAIGNING. 

]OME  of  Camp's  experiences  with  the  liberated 
slaves  in  Ncwberne  were  recounted  by  him  in 
an  interesting  manner :  — 
"  Did  I  tell  you,"  ho  wrote  home,  "about  the  family 
of  fugitives  that  came  in  while  we  were  out  on  picket? 
I  was  on  duty  at  the  time.  One  of  the  men  called 
me,  saying  that  some  one  wished  to  pass  our  lines.  I 
came  to  the  post  where  they  had  been  stopped,  and  there 
were  two  negro  women  with  a  swarm  of  little  things, — one 
or  two  in  their  arms ;  one  or  two,  hardly  big  enough  to 
walk,  carrying  others.  They  had  come  five  miles  that 
night ;  their  masters  intended  to  send  them  up  country 
the  next  day ;  they  had  got  wind  of  it,  and  seized  the  only 
chance  of  escape.  I  asked  how  many  children  they  had. 
'She  have  four  head,  and  I  four.'  (So  many  head, — 
that's  the  way  these  darkies  talk.)  I  don't  see  how  they 
could  have  done  it;  little  barefooted  toddlers! — some  of 
them,  trotting  along  in  their  nightgowns  as  if  they  had 
just  come  out  of  a  warm  bed,  instead  of  having  tramped 

83 


84  TUE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

five  miles  in  the  cold  and  dark ;  but  there  wasn't  one  of 
them  -whimpering,  or  making  the  least  fuss  about  it,  — 
poor  little  things  !  I  didn't  keep  them  long  with  questions, 
—  passed  them,  of  course ;  but  advised  them,  now  that 
they  were  safe  within  our  lines,  to  spend  the  rest  of  the 
night  in  a  deserted  house  near  by,  and  so  they  did.  Their 
mistress,  a  widow  of  strong  sccesh  sympathies,  came  into 
town  next  day.  '  She  wanted  to  see  General  Foster.' 
I  don't  know  what  was  the  object  or  result  of  the  inter- 
view ;  but  I  think  it  safe  to  say,  she  didn't  get  back  the 
runaways." 

Another  of  his  stories  concerning  this  class  of  people 
was  published  at  the  time  in  the  "Hartford  Press,"  and 
copied  widely :  — 

"  I  was  in  a  negro  house  yesterday,  and  had  some  con- 
versation with  the  inmates.  I  asked  one  gray-headed  old 
negress  if  she  had  ever  had  children  sold  away  from  her. 
'  Sold !  dey  all  sold !  chil'en  an'  gran'chiFen  an'  great 
gran'chil'cn,  —  dey  sell  cbry  one  ! '  She  clasped  her  bony 
hands  over  her  head,  and  looked  up  at  me  as  she  spoke, 
'  Dere  was  one  —  de  lass  one  —  de  on'y  gran'chile  I  did 
hab  lef.  He  neber  knowed  his  mammy.  I  took  him 
when  he  dot  little.  I  bringed  him  up  to  massa,  an'  I  say, 
"  Massa,  dis  my  little  gran'chile  :  may  I  keep  him  'bout 
heah  ?  "  An'  he  say,  "  I  don'  care  what  you  do  wid  him." 
So  I  take  him;  he  dot  little.  Den  one  mornin',  when  he 
all  rolled  up  in  blanket  'tween  my  knees,  Massa  Green 


SLAVERY.  85 

com'd  in,  an'  say,  "  Dis  boy  sold; "  and  dey  take  him  \vay! 
0  Lord  Jesus,  help  me  pray  ! ' 

"  I  can't  begin  to  do  justice  to  the  way  in  which  she 
told  me  this,  nor  describe  the  earnestness  of  voice  and 
gesture,  which  made  it  impressive.  I  wish  some  of  our 
Northern  editors,  who  cringe  just  as  abjectly  as  ever 
before  their  old  masters,  and  howl  in  such  consternation 
whenever  it  seems  likely  that  the  war  may  interfere, 
directly  or  indirectly,  with  their  pet  deviltry,  —  I  wish 
some  of  them  could  have  heard  and  seen  her. 

"  I  made  further  inquiries  about  the  old  woman's  grand" 
child.  Ho  is  now,  it  seems,  somewhere  near  Raleigh. 
She  seemed  wonderfully  comforted  when  I  told  her  that 
we  meant  to  go  up  there  by  and  by,  and  I  hoped  wo 
should  find  him.  She  seemed  to  take  it  in  the  light  of  a 
promise ;  and  I  heard  her,  just  before  I  went  out,  saying 
to  herself,  '  Bress  do  Lord  !  —  bress  de  Lord  !  I  shall 
see  my  gran'chile  again  ! '  Poor  old  creature  !  I  hope 
she  won't  be  disappointed." 

Then,  as  expressive  of  his  own  views  of  the  "  pet 
deviltry  "  of  the  South,  he  added  :  — 

"It  can't  be  but  that  this  war  will  kill  slavery;  and 
if  it  does,  cost  what  it  will  of  our  blood,  and  your  tears, 
and  every  man's  money,  it  won't  be  too  much.  Don't 
you  think  so  ?  I  know  you  do.  Not  that  I've  changed 
my  ideas  as  to  the  ultimate  object  of  the  war;  but  I 
um  more  firmly  convinced  than  ever  that  the  destruc- 


86  TEE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

tion  of  slavery  is  one  of  tho  means  indispensable  to  tho 
end." 

His  "  ideas  as  to  the  ultimate  object  of  the  war  "  were 
folly  set  forth  on  a  later  occasion.  He  longed  and  hoped 
and  prayed  for  tho  end  of  slavery.  He  fought  for  govern- 
ment as  a  divinely  ordained  power.  His  sympathies  were 
with  the  cause  of  universal  freedom.  His  work  of  war  was 
for  the  maintenance  of  law  and  order.  "  Work,"  he  said, 
"  which  I  am  as  sure  that  God  approves  as  I  am  sure  that 
he  designs  to  have  order  and  law  prevail  throughout  tho 
universe  over  .chaos  and  anarchy. 

"  What  on  earth  have  I  said  to  give  you  tho  idea  that 
I  am  fighting,  not  for  the  Government,  but  the  abolition 
of  slavery  ?  Exactly  tho  reverse.  It  is  the  maintenance 
of  the  Government  that  I  consider  tho  object,  and  the  only 
object  of  the  war;  abolition,  one  of  tho  means,  but  no 
more.  I  think  as  ill  of  slavery  as  you  do  :  I  believe, 
with  you,  that  it  is  tho  cause  of  tho  Rebellion,  and  that  it 
must  be  crushed  wherever  rebellion  exists;  but  I  fight 
for  tho  preservation  of  the  republic,  not  for  the  abolition 
of  slavery,  because  I  consider  tho  former  the  nobler  and 
more  important  object,  —  the  object  for  which  the  latter  is 
but  a  means.  Strike  at  the  root,  you  say.  Yes ;  but  why? 
Because  the  poisonous  growth  is  killing  that  which  it  is  my 
highest  aim  to  keep  alive  and  flourishing.  It  is  not  always 
the  cause  of  an  evil  that  must  be  made  the  great  object 
of  an  attack  iu  remedying  its  effects. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ACTION.  87 

"  Government  is  the  human  embodiment  of  law,  and 
law  is  the  central  idea  of  the  universe.  '  Liberty  for 
ever  and  for  all/  is  a  taking  watchword;  and  a  thousand 
will  catch  it  up  as  the  expression  of  their  highest  aim, 
where  one  will  adopt  the  far  higher  and  nobler  one  of 
universal  law.  Among  free  moral  agents,  perfect  liberty 
involves  inevitable  abuse,  incalculable  sin  and  suffering. 
Perfect  law  would  bo  the  acquiescence  of  all  in  God's 
plans,  —  the  unquestioned  supremacy  of  his  will.  Of  the 
two  abstractions,  therefore,  I  choose  the  ktter ;  and,  when 
they  become  embodied  in  material  forms  for  which  a  man 
can  fight,  I  will  fight  for  the  republic  —  which  is  tho 
concrete  expression,  however  imperfect,  of  the  higher— 
rather  than  for  the  emancipation  of  four  million  negroes, 
which  is  the  corresponding  outgrowth  of  the  lower. 

"  As  to  the  soundness  or  unsoundness  of  the  Adminis- 
tration, my  action  is  independent  of  it.  Government  and 
the  ideas  behind  it,  —  tho  nation  and  its  republican  institu- 
tions, —  are  what  I  fight  for,  not  Abraham  Lincoln  or  his 
advisers.  There's  nobody  that  I  dislike  more  than  a  young 
old  fogy.  I  don't  think  I'm  in  any  dangef  of  being  gen- 
erally so  considered ;  but,  if  public  opinion  does  run  wild, 
I  shan't  try  to  keep  up  with  it.  It  will  settle  back  again 
by  and  by.  We  shall  see  whether  I  am  behind  it  ten 
years  from  now." 

Writing,  after  one  of  the  many  changes  of  camp  at  New- 
berne,  of  the  absolute  necessity  of  one's  looking  out  for 


88  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER.  j» 

himself  in  army  life,  especially  at  a  time  of  breaking  camp, 
or  otherwise  changing  quarters,  Camp  said,  jocosely,  "  The 
only  way  to  get  what  belongs  to  you,  down  here,  is  to  take 
it,  and  put  in  a  claim  to  half  your  neighbor's  property 
to  balance  what  he  demands  of  yours.  When  everybody 
is  at  hand  to  do  their  own  fighting  and  stealing,  the  system 
works  very  fairly :  nobody  suffers,  unless  it  is  some 
modest,  honest  greenhorn,  who  deserves  it  for  not  learning, 
when  he  is  at  the  South,  to  do  as  the  Southerners  do;  but, 
when  two  or  three  are  absent,  the  rest  of  the  rogues  inako 
short  work  with  their  share  of  the  plunder."  In  pleasant 
irony,  he  added,  in  comment  on  the  grasping  spirit  he  had 
seen  displayed,  "But  it  takes  time  to  learn  to  steal  as 
well  as  to  acquire  any  other  useful  art,  —  especially  when 
one's  early  education  has  been  neglected.  Can't  you  find 
somebody  like  Fagin  to  apprentice  Charley  to?  You've 
no  idea  how  much  it  will  be  worth  to  him  if  we  happen  to 
get  into  war  with  England  or  France  by  and  by,  when  he 
is  old  enough  to  have  a  finger  and  .thumb  in  the  pie." 

It  was  during  the  spring  and  summer  in  Ncwbcrne,  that 
Camp  wrote  most  of  those  letters  to  his  college  classmate, 
which  are  referred  to,  in  the  earlier  pages  of  this  volume, 
as  being  so  richly  blessed  to  their  recipient.  There  is, 
perhaps,  nothing  remaining  of  his  writings,  more  clearly 
expressive  of  his  religious  views  and  convictions  than  the 
subjoined  extracts  from  those  letters  :  — 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  from  you,  which  is  the  next  best 


RELIGIOUS  COUNSEL.  89 

thing  to  seeing  you,"  he  wrote,  in  his  first  of  the  series, 
"  and  still  more  glad  to  hear  that  your  interest  in  religious 
subjects  still  continues.  You  know  I  never  could  say 
what  I  wanted  to  say.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  find  it  even 
more  difficult  to  write  what  I  want  to  write.  I  am  rejoiced 
that  you  find  yourself  making  progress,  —  that  you  have 
conquered  the  theoretical  difficulties  which  formerly 
troubled  you;  and  yet,  I  can  not  but  fear,  from  what 
you  say,  that  you  have  paused  before  still  more  seri- 
ous obstacles.  As  far  as  intellectual  conviction  of  the 
truth  and  excellence  of  Christianity  goes,  a  man  can  carry 
himself,  —  though  I  think  I  can  see  the  hand  of  God 
leading  you,  unconsciously,  perhaps,  to  yourself,  even  there ; 
but,  beyond  that,  comes  a  barrier  which  can  not  bo  passed 
without  one's  earnest  call  for,  and  acceptance  of,  help  from 
above,  voluntarily  sought,  and  freely  given. 

"I  think  I  know  exactly  what  you  mean  when  you 
say  you  have  not  interest  enough  in  the  matter  to  pray. 
I  used  to  feel  the  same.  I  do  still,  far  oftener  than  I 
ought,  or  wish  to ;  but  there  are  other  times  when  I  wonder 
at  myself,  when  I  seem  to  realize,  in  some  faint  degree, 
the  real  and  infinite  importance  of  these  things,  and  when 
it  seems  to  me  strange  that  I  can  take  any  interest,  com- 
paratively, in  other  matters.  I  wish  I  knew  how  to  present 
the  motives  to  a  Christian  life  as  they  appear  to  me  then. 
Passing  by,  for  the  present,  those  of  reward  and  punish- 
ment, considered  merely  as  such,  let  us  look  for  a  moment 


90  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

at  another,  —  one  which  has  often  struck  me  with  great 
force,  and  must,  I  think,  have  weight  with  a  mind  consti- 
tuted like  your  own. 

"  We  are  just  at  the  commencement  of  a  life  with  which 
this  one  compares  only  as  time  compares  with  eternity; 
whose  interests  are  to  those  of  the  present  as  the  infinite 
to  the  finite.  Admitting  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion, 
its  hearty  and  thorough  acceptance  is  the  only  preparation 
we  can  now  make  for  this  future ;  and  the  entrance  upon  a 
real  Christian  life  is  the  entrance  upon  the  first  stage  of 
progress  toward  all  that  is  worthy  to  be  made  an  end  to  a 
reasoning  and  immortal  being,  — all,  in  short,  that  is  worthy 
of  a  man.  It  is  at  this  point  that  we  must,  at  some  time, 
start,  if  we  are  ever  to  take  up  earnestly  the  pursuit  of  the 
highest  good,  if  wo  are  ever  to  enter  upon  the  life  of  truest 
manliness.  Until  we  have  reached  this,  we  are  living  to 
no  real  purpose ;  we  have  not  commenced  the  work  which 
is  to  be  the  work  of  our  existence.  Is  it  worth  while  to 
live  for  any  thing  less  ?  Are  not  our  energies,  in  effect, 
wasted,  unless  we  devote  them,  not  only  to  that  which  is 
noble  and  excellent,  but  to  that  which  is  noblest  and  most 
excellent  ?  And  is  not  every  day  lost  until  we  begin  to  act 
up  to  this  belief? 

"  Surely  there  is  no  ideal  which  one  can  set  before  him- 
self higher  than  that  of  a  life  whose  mainspring  is  duty,  — 
with  all  that  seems  hard  and  cold  in  that  word  softened 
and  warmed  by  a  love  that  turns  trial  and  difficulty  into 


RELIGIOUS  COUNSEL.  91 

joy :  the  same  feeling  which  makes  pleasant  a  service 
rendered  to  a  dear  earthly  friend  intensified,  as  is  fitting, 
toward  him  who  has  done  and  suffered  more  for  us  than 
we  can  ever  comprehend,  until  wo  see  him  face  to  face 
and  know  him  even  as  we  are  known.  Is  there  not  some- 
thing in  this  to  rouse  an  earnest  man  to  vigorous  effort  ? 
something  worth  striving  for  with  the  whole  soul?  Then, 
why  wait  for  feeling  ?  It  will  not  come  at  the  bidding  of 
the  will.  Why  not  enter  at  once  upon  the  course  which 
understanding  and  conscience  approve  ?  Why  not  obey 
them  in  this,  as  you  would  in  any  thing  else  ? 

"  Just  here  comes  a  difficulty.  He  who  resolves  to  do 
this  just  as  he  may  have  resolved  to  carry  out  former  pur- 
poses,—  by  the  force  of  his  own  determination,  relying 
upon  that  and  that  alone,  —  inevitably  fails.  He  may  live 
a  moral  life,  a  philanthropic  life,  one  which  gains  for  him  the 
highest  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-men ;  but  when  he 
comes  to  compare  it  with  the  strict  requirements  of  God's 
law,  he  finds  the  standard  too  high,  hopelessly  beyond  his 
reach,  though  he  spends  life  in  the  efforts  to  attain  it. 
The  longer  he  tries  in  this  way,  the  lower  he  falls.  There 
is  nothing  left  but  an  utter  abandonment  of  trust  in  one's 
own  exertions,  and  a  simple  leaning  on  Christ  for  his 
support,  his  aid  in  living  a  life  of  obedience  to  his  will, 
and  his  pardon  for  all  its  thousand  imperfections.  He 
stands  ready ;  only  '  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto 
you.' 


92  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"I  think  you  strike  the  key-note  of  your  difficulties, 
when  you  say,  '  I  have  hitherto  relied  solely  upon  myself.' 
That  is  what  keeps  you  at  a  stand-still,  the  effort  '  to  solve 
the  problem '  for  yourself.  It  is  hard  to  give  it  up,  — 
hard  to  bend  one's  pride  to  the  acknowledgment  of  weak- 
ness and  dependence.  The  way  is  narrow;  but  unless 
we  become  as  little  children  in  our  humility,  there  is  no 
entrance  for  us  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  So  far  from 
being  really  a  degradation,  it  is  the  highest  test  of  true 
nobility  of  soul,  that  it  should  be  willing  to  take  the  place 
which  God  created  it  for,  —  the  highest  privilege  to  come 
into  harmony  with  his  great  system,  to  enjoy  his  direct  and 
conscious  personal  influence,  to  feel  the  joy  of  his  approval. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  preached  you  more  of  a  sermon 
than  you  will  care  to  read ;  but  I  have  spoken  plainly  and 
earnestly,  because  it  is  to  a  dear  friend.  How  I  should 
rejoice  to  know  that  you  had  at  length  found  what  you 
have  sought  and  your  friends  have  sought  for  you !  It  is 
now  some  years  that  I  have  remembered  you  in  my 
prayers;  with  such  encouragement,  I  certainly  shall  not 
now  forget  you:  but  do  pray  for  yourself.  Don't  fall 
into  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  you  must  wait  for  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  feeling.  If  you  feel  that  you  need  God's 
help,  and  are  willing  to  ask  for  it,  that  is  enough.  He  is 
more  willing  to  give  than  you  to  receive,  if  you  will  only 
be  persuaded  to  prove  for  yourself  the  truth  of  all  these 
things." 


KELIGIOUS   COUNSEL.  93 

Again  Camp  wrote :  "  It  is  encouraging  to  know  that 
you  feel  a  growth  in  your  moral  nature,  come  in  what  shape 
it  will ;  but  I  can  not  judge  from  what  you  say  whether  you 
have  reached,  or  are  still  on  this  side  of,  the  point  which 
must  be  passed  before  any  radical  and  permanent  change 
for  the  better  can  fairly  commence.  One  may  stroll 
for  ever  on  the  ground  outside  the  narrow  gate,  —  receding 
or  advancing,  —  even  till  his  hand  is  upon  the  latch ;  but, 
until  he  enters,  his  journey  along  the  true  path  is  yet  to 


"  I  want  to  believe  that  your  decision  has  been  made, 
not  merely  to  experiment  a  while,  but,  relying  upon 
God's  help,  to  make  your  life  henceforth  no  longer  your 
own,  but  his.  Then,  however  feeble  your  faith,  it  will 
increase ;  however  slowly  you  move,  it  will  be  in  the  right 
direction.  Love,  as  you  say,  will  grow  with  time  and  the 
experience  of  God's  goodness ;  culture  will  produce  its 
effects.  I  do  hope  that  it  is  so  with  you ;  and  that  the 
doubts  and  misgivings  of  which  you  speak  will  vanish 
with  the  steady  increase  of  light  in  your  soul.  But  don't 
think,  though  you  should  remain  stationary,  or  even  go 
backward,  that  you  have  proved  whether  there  is  '  any 
thing  in  it.'  Be  sure  that  the  difficulty  is  in  yourself,  and 
that  it  is  as  impossible  that  God  should  refuse  to  hear  and 
help  one  who  comes  to  him  in  sincerity  and  humility,  as 
that  he  should  cease  to  exist.  The  universe  shall  sink 
into  annihilation  before  his  word  shall  fail." 


94  THE   KNIGIITLY  SOLDIER. 

When,  at  length,  came  a  letter  giving  full  assurance  of 
faith,  on  the  part  of  the  one  in  whom  he  had  been  so  deeply 
interested,  Camp  replied :  — 

"  So  you  have  finally  entered  upon  a  Christian  life. 
You  do  not  know,  my  dear  fellow,  how  glad  I  am  to  hear 
it,  both  on  your  own  account,  and  my  own,  if  I  have 
been,  in  any  degree,  of  assistance  to  you.  You  will 
know,  I  hope,  some  time,  when  one  for  whom  you  have 
BO  sincere  a  friendship  takes  the  same  step  which  you  havo 
taken,  —  one  which  I  am  sure  you  will  rejoice  in,  more 
and  more,  the  longer  you  live." 

It  is  noteworthy  evidence  of  his  rarest  humility  and 
modesty,  that  Camp,  in  writing  to  his  home  of  the  coming 
to  Christ  of  this  friend  whom  he  had  been  leading  with 
such  fidelity  and  prayerfulness,  mentions  several  who 
might  have  had  an  influence  for  good  over  his  classmate, 
without  saying  a  word  of  his  own  agency  in  the  matter ; 
but  the  record  is  on  high,  and  all  the  world  shall  know  it, 
"  when  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God,  and 
the  books  are  opened." 

Exposure,  on  guard  and  picket,  to  the  malarial  atmos- 
phere of  the  North  Carolina  nights  brought  Camp  down 
with  chills  and  fever  during  the  summer  months;  and 
again  an  attack  of  jaundice  confined  him  in  the  hospital. 
His  sole  anxiety  seems  then  to  have  been  lest  he  should 
miss  some  active  service  with  his  regiment,  or  disturb  his 
friends  at  home  by  fears  as  to  his  condition.  "I  went 


IN    THE   HOSPITAL.  95 

down  to  the  liospital,"  ho  wrote,  "partly  to  consult  Dr. 
Douglass,  and  partly  to  see  if  they  had  any  cherries  left, 
—  no  more  idea  of  staying  there  than  of  cutting  up  any 
other  foolish  caper;  but  once  there,  and  they  had  me. 
Dr.  Douglass  said  stay,  and  stay  it  was.  So  I  am  luxu- 
riating again  on  a  mattress,  between  cotton  sheets.  I  tell 
you  about  my  playing  sick,  because  I  suppose  I  must,  to 
fulfil  literally  my  part  of  our  compact ;  but  you  mustn't 
suppose  there  is  any  thing  to  speak  of  the  matter  with  me, 
because  there  isn't." 

His  stay  in  hospital  was,  however,  for  several  weeks, 
and  the  confinement  was  irksome  to  him.  "  It  is  quiet 
enough,  up  at  camp,"  he  said ;  "  but  you  know  that,  there, 
there  are  drills,  though  you  may  not  go  out  to  them ;  and 
there  are  forty  little  things  to  discuss,  —  whether  the 
colonel  was  exactly  right  in  the  order  he  gave,  and  whoso 
fault  this  or  that  blunder  was,  and  how  this  or  that  little 
matter  of  company  business  is  to  bo  settled.  Here  it  is, 
1  How  do  you  feel  this  morning  ? '  '  Anybody  dio  last 
night  ? '  '  Doctor  been  around  yet  ? '  And  after  ho  has, 
and  prescribed  the  dose  for  the  day,  that  is  about  all,  until 
night,  when  bedtime  comes." 

Speaking  of  reported  orders  for  a  move  of  the  regiment, 
he  added,  "  Wouldn't  I  be  provoked  to  have  to  stay  here, 
and  have  them  leave  me?  It  would  be  worse  than 
Roanoke."  To  his  bitter  sorrow,  the  orders  came;  and 
the  surgeon  positively  forbade  his  accompanying  the  expo- 


96  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

dition,  telling  him  he  could  not  go  five  miles  before  ho 
would  have  to  be  brought  back.  In  his  disappointment, 
he  said,  "  Here  I  have  been  impatient  to  get  away,  and  do 
something,  fretting  at  long  idleness,  ready  for  a  start  any 
day  until  now;  and  now  the  time  comes,  the  move  is  made, 
and  I  am  fast.  If  I  was  really  sick,  down  with  a  fever, 
laid  up  with  a  broken  leg,  or  any  thing  of  that  sort,  there 
would  bo  some  satisfaction  in  it :  I  should  know  I  was 
helpless,  and  make  up  my  mind  to  it.  But  to  bo  tied 
down  by  this  miserable  little  bilious  difficulty,  —  to  bo 
upset  by  such  a  thing  as  this,  —  I  feel  like  some  great 
lubber  who  has  been  thrashed  by  a  youngster  half  his  size, 
and  sneaks  off  into  a  corner  to  hide  himself.  It  s  more  of 
a  disappointment  to  me  than  you  will  probably  imagine." 

But  the  orders  for  his  regiment  were  countermanded. 
General  Burnside  left  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  taking 
with  him  Generals  Parke  and  Reno,  and  their  commands, 
constituting  the  newly-formed  Ninth  Army  Corps;  while 
General  Foster  remained  in  command  of  the  district  of 
North  Carolina,  retaining  his  old  brigade,  with  some  addi- 
tions to  it.  In  the  reorganization  of  the  troops,  the  Tenth 
was  brigaded  with  the  24th  Massachusetts,  the  9th  New 
Jersey,  and  the  5th  Rhode  Island  regiments,  under  gallant 
Colonel  (afterwards  General)  Stevenson,  of  the  24th 
Massachusetts. 

In  one  of  Camp's  letters  from  the  hospital  is  a  para- 
graph worthy  of  special  note  in  this  Memoir,  prepared  by 


FRIENDSHIPS.  97 

one  subsequently  intimate  with  him,  but  not  his  army 
comrade  until  some  months  later.  "  I  have  been  reading 
Captain  Vickars's  Life  this  afternoon,  for  the  first  time. 
He  was  the  right  man  in  the  right  place, — just  such  a  one 
as  one  or  two  whom  I  know  could  be,  and  only  one  or 
two.  Memoirs  like  his,  and  others  of  his  stamp,  don't 
affect  me  as  they  ought  to.  Such  men  are  too  far  out  of 
common  sight:  I  am  wretchedly  uncomfortable  when  I 
read  of  them,  —  that  is  all.  I  wish  I  could  get  hold  of  a 
life  of  some  fellow  like  myself,  if  there  ever  was  one,  — 
which  I  honestly  don't  believe,  —  and  see  how  he  turned 
out.  But  no,  —  catch  any  such  memoir  as  that  being 
given  to  the  public  ! 

"  One  of  the  chief,  perhaps  the  chief,  privations  of 
being  away  from  home,  is  the  having  no  intimate  friend, 
— no  one  with  whom  to  talk  freely;  being  shut  up  within 
one's  self.  There  are  few  who  would  allow  themselves  to 
be  so,  but  you  know  I  have  no  social  qualities  about  me. 
I  am  very  particular:  there  are  only  one  or  two  in  a 
hundred  whom  I  would  have  for  friends  anyhow,  and  those 
one  or  two  I  haven't  the  faculty  of  gaining ;  and  the  result 
is  that  I  am  as  solitary  as  the  sphynx.  How  I  should 
enjoy  the  right  fellow  for  a  chum  ! "  Why  this  connection 
of  thought  ?  Did  he  know  instinctively,  that,  if  he  had  an 
intimate  friend  who  should  outlive  him,  that  friend  would 
give  his  memoir  to  the  public  ? 

In  July,  1862,  Camp  was  advanced  to  a  first  lieutenancy, 


98  TUE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

and  put  in  command  of  Company  D,  which  he  greatly 
improved  by  his  firm  and  judicious  discipline,  during  the 
few  weeks  he  had  charge  of  it.  August  5,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  adjutancy  of  the  regiment ;  a  position  more 
congenial  to  his  tastes  and  acquirements  than  that  of  sub- 
altern in  the  line.  His  first  experience  with  a  consolidated 
report  will  be  appreciated  by  any  one  who  has  had  the 
responsibility  of  such  a  mass  of  perplexing  figures  :  — 

"  I  finished  a  copy  of  the  consolidated  monthly  return, 
—  the  principal  one,  —  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  carried  it 
down  to  headquarters,  immensely  rejoiced  to  have  it  done 
with.  About  an  hour  afterward,  up  came  an  orderly  to 
my  tent,  '  Adjutant  Camp's  report  is  respectfully  returned 
for  correction.'  I  was  thunderstruck,  to  speak  moderately. 
Hadn't  I  added  those  figures  lengthwise  and  crosswise, 
vertically,  horizontally,  diagonally,  spherically,  and  miscel- 
laneously ?  —  got  'em  at  length  so  that  it  would  have  done 
old  Daboll  good  to  look  over  the  columns  ?  I  thought  so ; 
but,  come  to  examine  the  work  again,  there  were  two  mis- 
takes for  which  the  serjeant-major,  at  whose  dictation  I  had 
copied,  was  responsible,  and  one  of  my  own.  It  didn't 
take  fifteen  minutes  to  straighten  them  out ;  but  I  was 
vexed  to  think  that  my  first  performance  should  havo 
been  a  boggle.  However,  it  did  mo  good  to  find  out 
that  the  adjutants  of  the  25th  and  27th,  both  old  hands 
at  the  business,  had  blundered  in  theirs  too ;  so  I  wasn't 
alone.  I  don't  intend  to  be  caught  again,  though." 


CHAPLAIN  TRUMBULL.  99 

A  week  after  Camp  was  appointed  adjutant,  Chaplain 
Hall  —  his  friend  and  college  classmate  —  resigned,  and 
left  the  regiment.  It  was  thus  that  Camp  wrote  home  of 
Hall's  successor :  — 

"I  wonder  if  you  know,  by  this  time,  whom  we  are 
probably  going  to  have  as  chaplain.  If  you  don't,  you'll 
be  very  glad  to  hear  it,  though  you'd  never  guess  in  the 
world,  —  Henry  Clay  Trumbull.  I  can't  think  of  any 
man  I  ever  knew,  whom  I  should  be  so  well  pleased  to 
have  accept  it.  ...  I  am  selfish  about  it,  too :  the  chap- 
lain and  I,  both  being  members  of  the  staff,  will  see  a  great 
deal  of  each  other,  and  be  thrown  much  together." 

Chaplain  Trumbull,  whose  coming  was  so  pleasantly 
anticipated  by  Adjutant  Camp,  reached  the  regiment  early 
in  October.  The  two  comrades,  ordinary  friends  before, 
were  speedily  drawn  into  closest  intimacy.  Away  from 
home,  they  craved  personal  sympathy.  Their  tastes  were 
similar.  Their  characters  were  sufficiently  unlike  to  be  in 
harmony.  The  training  of  each  was  such  that  he  possessed 
what  the  other  deemed  his  lack.  One  had  a  finely  cultured, 
richly  stored  mind ;  the  other  a  fund  of  personal  experience. 
The  opinions  of  the  one  were  all  formed  from  the  study  of 
underlying  principles;  the  judgments  of  the  other  were 
based  upon  practical  observations.  Their  regimental  duties 
kept  them  near  each  other.  Their  home  friends  being  side 
by  side,  they  were  linked  in  every  interest. 

It  was  after  a  sacred  communion  service  in  the  Presby- 


100  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

terian  Church  at  Newberne,  at  which  Adjutant  Camp  was 
the  only  officer  present  with  the  chaplain  from  their  regi- 
ment, that^  in  a  midnight  talk,  they  opened  their  hearts 
to  each  other,  and  entered  upon  that  life  of  peculiar  oneness 
which  was  so  marked  to  all  who,  thenceforward,  saw  them 
together.  Like  Jonathan  and  David,  when  they  "  had 
made  an  end  of  speaking,"  at  that  time,  "  the  soul  of 
the  one  was  knit  with  the  soul  of  the  other."  They 
"made  a  covenant,  because  each  loved  the  other  as  his 
own  soul." 

During  the  month  of  October,  1862,  General  Foster 
was  largely  reinforced  by  nine-months'  regiments  from 
Massachusetts.  Of  these,  the  44th  was  added  to  Colonel 
Stevenson's  brigade,  and  soon  became  a  favorite  with 
the  old  troops  of  the  command.  It  was  composed  of 
choice  material,  including  many  students  from  Harvard. 
Pleasant  acquaintances  were  made  among  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  newly  associated  battalions. 

October  30th,  Stevenson's  brigade  left  Newberne  on 
transports  for  Little  Washington,  the  10th  accompany- 
ing General  Foster,  on  his  own  boat,  the  "  Pilot  Coy." 
At  the  same  time,  a  column  moved  overland  to  Wasl)- 
ington,  whence  an  expedition  set  out  for  Tarborough  on 
Sunday  morning,  November  2,  the  10th  leading,  for 
the  day,  the  infantry  advance.  Before  night  had  fairly 
shut  in,  the  enemy  was  found  posted  in '  the  woods,  just 
beyond  a  troublesome  ford  at  Little  Creek,  a  short  distance 


IN  ACTION.  101 

below  Williaraston,  opening  fire  on  the  approaching 
skirmishers  of  the  10th.  The  latter,  reinforced  by  a 
portion  of  the  44th,  charged  across  the  stream,  and 
drove  out  the  rebels,  capturing  several  prisoners  of  the 
2Gth  North  Carolina  Regiment,  of  which  Governor  Vance 
was  the  first  colonel. 

This  was  the  first  engagement  in  which  Camp  had  acted 
as  adjutant,  and  thus  been  brought  into  prominence  before 
all  the  regiment.  His  courageous  bearing  won  warm 
praise  from  the  men,  as,  by  the  side  of  brave  Colonel 
IVttibone,  he  pressed  forward  in  the  charge  over  the 
creek,  through  the  shower  of  bullets  and  the  sweep  of 
grape  from  the  foe  of  unknown  strength  in  the  thicket 
beyond.  "  I  never  knew  what  Adjutant  Camp  was  until 
that  night,"  said  a  sergeant,  long  afterward.  "  I  saw  his 
face  was  pale,  as  if  he  understood  the  danger"  (the  soldier 
knows  the  difference  between  the  bloodless  cheek  of  deter- 
mination and  the  pallor  of  cowardice);  "and  he  looked 
just  as  if  he  was  ready  to  go  anywhere,  as  he  ran  along 
on  that  log  foot-bridge,  and  cheered  on  the  men,  while  they 
splashed  through  the  water,  with  the  bullets  all  about 
them.  I  always  liked  him  after  that." 

The  enemy  was  pursued  rapidly  to  Rawl's  Mills,  where, 
at  midnight,  General  Foster  brought  up  heavy  batteries 
of  artillery  to  a  commanding  hill-crest,  and  rained  shot 
and  shell  upon  the  retreating  column.  After  an  exhausting 


102  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

day  of  twenty-two  hours  of  activity,  the  troops  bivouackea 
that  night  in  the  clear  moonlight,  on  the  soft  clay  of  the 
captured  line  of  works.  The  next  morning,  Williamston 
was  entered  without  opposition,  the  enemy  having  evacu- 
ated it  during  the  night,  and  most  of  the  citizens  having 
fled,  terror-stricken,  from  their  homes.  As  the  head  of 
the  incoming  column  reached  a  principal  street-corner  of 
the  well-nigh  deserted  town,  a  party  of  Jack-tars  from  the 
Union  gunboats  which  had  just  ascended  the  Roanoke 
River  gave  an  unexpected  greeting  to  the  army,  by  singing 
the  stirring  song,  "We'll  rally  round  the  flag,  boys!" 
and  roused  the  enthusiasm  of  the  soldiers  to  the  highest 
pitch.  During  the  halt  of  several  hours  in  the  village, 
there  was,  in  spite  of  every  effort  to  prevent  it,  much  of 
reckless  pillaging  and  wanton  destruction  of  private 
property  by  the  troops.  Every  thing  eatable  was,  of  course, 
seized  at  once ;  and  at  each  street-corner,  and  in  each  back- 
yard, pork,  poultry,  and  beef  were  being  cooked  in  the 
most  primitive  style,  at  fires  kindled  from  the  convenient 
fence-palings,  or  articles  of  household  furniture.  The  few 
families  who  remained  seemed  doubtful  if  even  their  lives 
were  to  be  spared  by  the  bloodthirsty  and  relentless 
Yankees ;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  some,  whose 
homes  wore,  from  the  first,  specially  guarded  against 
intrusion,  could  be  induced  to  refrain  from  loud  shrieks 
for  mercy,  or  made  to  believe  that  no  harm  was  intended 


MARCHING.  103 

them,  or  injury  to  be  done  their  property.  The  empty 
cradle  from  which  a  sick  child  had  been  hurried  away  at 
the  risk  of  its  life,  and  the  cot  from  which  a  consumptive 
patient  had  been  borne  out  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town, 
in  the  cold  night  air,  at  his  own  earnest  request,  as  pointed 
out  by  those  who  knew  the  story  of  both,  touched  the 
hearts  of  the  Union  officers,  and  showed  to  all  how  thor- 
oughly misunderstood  in  the  Southern  community  was  the 
purpose  of  the  Federal  army. 

Passing  on  from  Williamston,  the  column  rested  for  the 
night  in  an  extensive  cornfield  of  hundreds  of  broad  acres, 
presenting  a  scene  of  peculiar  picturesqueness,  —  a  fire- 
lit  bivouac  of  thousands  of  armed  men,  with  no  seeming 
limit  to  the  stretch  of  blazing  piles  and  clustered  groups 
and  flashing  weapons  and  moving  forms,  all  overhung  by 
the  illumined  smoke-clouds,  with  the  glimmering  stars 
beyond. 

The  next  day,  the  column  pressed  on  to  Rainbow  Fort, 
a  strong  work  on  a  high  bluff  above  Jloanoke  River,  and 
flanked  the  position,  so  that  it  was  evacuated  in  hot  haste. 
Thence  to  Hamilton,  and  across  the  country  to  Tar  River, 
to  the  suburbs  of  Tarborough.  Returning  to  Hamilton,  and 
again  to  Williamston,  it  moved  down  to  Janesville,  and  on 
to  Plymouth,  where  it  took  transports  to  Newberne  ;  reach- 
ing its  old  base  after  an  absence  of  two  weeks,  having 
marched  more  than  one  hundred  miles,  and  moved  more 
than  four  hundred  by  water. 


104  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

In  illustration  of  the  truth,  familiar  to  every  soldier, 
that  inaction  causes  far  more  complaint  and  discontent 
than  the  severest  service  in  campaigning,  Camp  wrote,  in 
one  of  his  letters  from  Little  Washington,  on  this  expe- 
dition, — 

"We  are  all  enjoying  the  return  to  active  service. 
Officers  and  men  alike  are  more  cheerful  than  for  a  long 
time  past.  More  enthusiasm  has  lain  concealed  beneath  a 
crust  of  grumbling  complaints  and  talk  of  resignation  than 
I  had  any  idea  of.  Wo  need  work, — that's  all,  — to  keep 
us  good-natured.  Ice  freezes  thick  over  most  men's 
patriotism  when  it  is  dammed  up,  so  that  it  seems  to  have 
utterly  vanished.  Only  open  the  sluiceways  once  in  a 
while,  and  the  current,  deep  as  ever,  sweeps  it  away  in  a 
twinkling,  and  again  runs  free  and  strong." 

The  expedition  to  Tarborough  was  novel  in  its  nature, 
partaking,  in  many  features,  of  the  general  character  of 
Sherman's  grand  march  through  Georgia.  There  was  the 
same  cutting  loose  from  the  base  of  supplies,  the  depend- 
ing on  the  surrounding  country  for  subsistence,  the  moving 
through  a  tract  hitherto  unrcached  by  the  devastations  of 
war,  the  entering  one  town  after  another  and  quartering, 
on  its  inhabitants,  the  visiting  and  emptying  of  richly 
stored  plantations  and  elegantly  furnished  private  dwellings, 
the  seizure  of  horses  and  cattle  for  Government  use,  and 
the  gathering  of  slaves  to  give  them  freedom  in  a  new 
home.  And  there  was  the  same  inevitable  lawlessness 


FORAGING.  105 

among  the  men  having  part  in  such  a  work.  Passing  a 
farm-house,  they  would  dart  from  the  ranks  to  seize  a  fowl 
or  to  gather  a  cap  full  of  eggs,  to  bring  back  a  pail  of 
sugar  or  of  the  demoralizing  apple-brandy,  or  to  bear  off  a 
well-filled  hive,  with  "  two  bees  to  one  honey,"  as  they 
facetiously  expressed  it;  and  in  a  twinkling  they  would 
ransack  the  dwelling  from  garret  to  cellar,  making  as  great 
havoc  with  those  things  utterly  useless  to  themselves  as 
with  that  which  their  appetites  or  personal  comfort  de- 
manded. 

Camp  entered  heartily  into  all  the  legitimate  excitements 
and  enjoyments  of  the  expedition.  No  one  was  more 
ready  than  he  to  have  a  run  for  live  pork  or  poultry  for 
the  field  and  staff  mess,  or  for  company  cooks,  while  all 
were  dependent  on  what  could  thus  be  secured ;  and  no 
one  took  more  delight  than  he  in  all  that  was  picturesque 
or  delightful  in  the  surrounding  country. 

But  he  never  forgot  the  dictates  of  honor  or  humanity. 
He  aided  in  soothing  alarmed  households ;  he  spoke  kind 
words  to  the  sorrowing;  and,  on  one  occasion,  when  he 
saw  officers  making  sport  of  neatly-tied  locks  of  hair  and 
other  mementoes  of  the  loved  ones  of  a  scattered  family, 
preserved  in  a  quarto  dictionary,  he  watched  his  oppor- 
tunity, and,  securing  the  volume  with  its  precious  contents, 
hid  it  in  a  remote  cupboard  of  the  house,  where  probably 
it  would  not  again  be  seen  until  the  proper  inmates 
returned  to  their  home. 


106  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

The  experiences  of  the  expedition  were  widely  varied, 
• — in  weather,  face  of  country,  and  duties  of  the  hour. 
There  were  fair,  bright  days,  and  days  and  nights  of  cheer* 
less  storm,  cold  drenching  rain,  and  even  frost  and  a  fall 
of  snow.  There  were  the  low  sand  plains  of  the  Southern 
coast,  and,  inland,  hills  almost  like  New  England,  and 
dense  woods,  and  fertile  fields,  and  even  clear  purling 
brooks,  as  well  as  chocolate-colored  rivers ;  then  there  were 
North-Carolina  swamps.  Who,  that  has  ever  passed 
through  one  of  these,  will  fail  to  recognize  the  truthfulness 
of  Camp's  description  of  it  ?  — 

"  Perhaps  mother  knows  what  a  Southern  swamp  is. 
I  am  sure  the  rest  of  you  don't.  You'll  find  a  better 
description  of  it  in  '  Dred,'  than  I  can  give  you ;  but  you 
can't  realize  the  dismal  abominations  of  it  until  you  see 
them.  For  all  that,  it  is  pleasant  enough  to  ride  through 
them  on  a  bright,  cool  morning.  There  is  something 
grand  in  the  dark  impenetrability,  and  the  huge  pines  that 
lift  themselves  out  of  it  and  seem  as  if  they  could  look 
down  into  all  manner  of  inaccessible  recesses  and  secret 
hiding  places,  open  only  toward  the  sky.  There  is  a 
great  deal  that  is  beautiful,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  swamp. 
Trees  have  a  luxuriance  of  growth,  and  density  of  cool, 
fleshy,  solid  foliage,  that  you  don't  see  at  home.  Even 
the  same  varieties  have  a  larger  leaf  and  thicker  twigs, 
so  that  at  first  one  hardly  recognizes  them.  There  are 
thousands  of  unfamiliar  vegetable  shapes,  —  vines,  and 


A  LANDSCAPE.  107 

shrubs,  and  bushes,  with  odd  and  beautiful  leaves  and 
flowers.  I  think,  if  I  were  a  botanist  (or  still  more,  if  I 
were  an  entomologist,  though  I  haven't  enlarged  upon 
that  subject),  I  shouldn't  ask  for  any  thing  more  than  a 
square  rod  of  Southern  swamp,  to  give  me  occupation  for 
a  year." 

One  sunny  morning,  the  road  traveled  by  the  column 
wound  down  a  hill,  through  the  woods,  across  a  wide  brook 
spanned  by  a  rustic  bridge.  An  old  mill  showed  itself 
among  the  trees  at  the  left.  A  gum-canoe  floated  near 
the  bridge.  The  morning  light  struggled  down  through 
the  branches  of  pine  and  cypress  and  moss^hung  oaks. 
The  bracing  air  of  the  morning  was  very  exhilarating  to 
the  refreshed  soldiers.  The  unusual  beauty  of  the  spot 
and  the  influences  of  the  hour  impressed  every  beholder ; 
and,  as  the  head  of  the  first  brigade  reached  the  bridge, 
a  Massachusetts  regiment  started  the  "John  Brown" 
chorus.  The  next  regiment  at  once  caught  up  the  strain, 
and  it  passed  rapidly  along  the  column,  until  the  rich 
melody  rolled  up  from  thousands  of  glad  voices,  far  up  and 
down  the  winding  road,  thrilling  the  nerves  and  stirring 
the  soul  of  every  participant  and  listener.  Beyond  the 
woods  the  country  opened  into  immense  plains,  showing 
the  yellow  corn,  the  rank  sorghum,  and  the  snow-flecked 
cotton-fields ;  while  the  plantation-house  was  in  view,  with 
its  broad  piazzas,  its  rear  rows  of  negro  shanties,  its  cotton- 
press  and  gin-house.  At  this  point  there  was  a  halt ;  and 


108  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  joyous  singing  was  changed  to  no  less  universal  and 
hearty  cheering,  as  Major-General  Foster,  —  the  admired 
and  beloved  commander,  —  with  his  staff,  rode  through 
the  open  ranks  to  the  extreme  front. 

Camp  enjoyed  such  an  hour  as  that,  as  he  did,  also,  the 
hour  of  social  worship,  when,  around  the  blazing  fire, 
officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  gathered  at  evening  in 
the  open  field  to  sing  and  to  pray,  and  to  listen  to  God's 
word.  One  evening,  at  a  bivouac  near  Plymouth,  when 
the  chaplain  missed  the  adjutant  for  an  hour,  he  ascertained 
that  the  latter,  in  crossing  the  field,  had  found  a  prayer- 
meeting  of  another  regiment,  and  had  stopped  to  enjoy  its 
privileges  and  be  refreshed  by  its  influence.  And  at  many 
a  point,  the  quiet  woods  could  tell  how  earnestly  he 
pleaded  with  God  in  the  morning  and  evening  hour  of 
private  devotion. 

On  the  return  of  the  troops  from  the  Tarborough  Scout, 
Colonel  Pettibone  resigned  command  of  the  10th,  and 
left  for  the  North,  Adjutant  Camp  accompanying  him  on 
a  brief  leave  of  absence.  The  delights  of  that  first  visit 
home,  after  a  year  of  separation,  could  not  be  better 
described  than  in  the  few  telling  lines  which  he  wrote 
concerning  it  to  his  friend  in  camp  :  — 

"  Once  on  the  train  which  was  to  carry  me  straight 
home,  steam  seemed  very  slow.  There  was  a  constantly 
growing  thrill  of  excitement,  pleasant,  yet  with  a  dash  of 
anxious  pain.  If  then  I  were  to  meet  or  find  any  thing 


TIIE    GOLDSBOROUGH   RAID.  109 

amiss !  I  was  driven  from  the  depot  as  near  the  house  as 
I  ventured  to  allow  a  carriage,  lest  its  sound  should  bctiay 
my  coming ;  walked  softly,  with  feet  that  hardly  felt  the 
ground,  past  the  cheerfully  shining  windows,  to  the  rear 
entrance  ;  noiselessly  stepped  along  to  the  library  door,  and 
threw  it  open.  There  they  were  !  What  was  said  or  done 
I  hardly  know.  Oh,  the  joy  of  that  evening,  and  of  every 
moment  since  !  I  wonder  if  you  have  ever  been  long  enough 
away  from  those  you  loved  to  know  it  thoroughly." 

It  was  while  Camp  was  at  home  at  this  time  that 
General  Foster  made  his  celebrated  Goldsborough  Raid 
from  Ncwberne,  in  conjunction  with  Burnside's  advance  on 
Frcdericksburg,  fighting  the  battles  of  South-west  Creek, 
Kinston,  Whitehall,  and  Goldsborough.  On  this  expe- 
dition, the  10th  Regiment  performed  hard  service,  and 
won  dearly  bought  distinction,  losing  in  twenty  minutes 
more  than  one  hundred  men,  with  some  of  its  best  and 
bravest  officers,  in  the  fight  at  Kinston. 

Again  Camp  was  deeply  grieved  at  his  loss  of  a  share 
in  the  work  of  his  regiment.  Nothing  had  seemed  more 
unlikely  than  such  an  expedition,  at  the  time  he  went 
North ;  and  his  surprise  was  as  great  as  his  disappointment, 
on  returning  to  Newberne,  to  find  that  his  regiment  had 
been  some  ten  days  away.  He  was  at  once  in  the  saddle 
and  on  his  way  to  overtake  his  command  ;  but  the  column 
was  already  returning,  and  he  met  it  but  a  few  miles  from 
the  city. 


110  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  So  I  am  about  a  week  too  late,"  he  wrote.  "  I  would 
give  more  than  that  of  life  to  have  been  in  that  bayonet 
charge.  My  absence  from  it,  like  that  from  the  battle  of 
Eoanoke,  —  much  more,  even,  —  will  be  a  life-long  disap- 
pointment and  regret.  When  the  war  is  over,  what  shall 
/have  done  ?  It  is  hard.  ...  I  have  nothing  to  reproach 
myself  with,  only  I  feel  like  a  man  who  has  unfortunately 
lost  a  magnificent  opportunity." 

So  keenly  did  he  feel  this  disappointment,  that  when, 
shortly  after,  unusual  promotion  was  tendered  him,  he 
positively  refused  it,  preferring  that  it  should  advantage 
some  one  who  had  shared  the  perils  of  the  recent  expe- 
dition. 

Burnside's  Frcdericksburg  defeat  depressed  many  in 
the  army,  as  out  of  it ;  but  Henry  Camp  never  despaired 
of  the  cause  which  had  his  heart ;  nor  did  he  admit  the 
possibility  of  any  course  but  one  for  Government  or 
people. 

" Has  the  North  pluck  enough  to  try  it  once  more?  " 
he  wrote  after  his  return  to  Newberne.  "  Now  is  the  time 
to  try  men.  I  am  astonished  at  the  way  some  of  them 
talk.  A  man  can  not  help  it  if  things  look  dark  to  him, 
—  they  do  to  me ;  but  he  can  help  slackening  effort,  or 
talking  in  a  way  to  slacken  others.  If  every  man  would 
set  his  teeth,  and  walk  straight  up  to  meet  the  ruin  which 
he  sees  coming,  it  would  vanish  before  he  came  within 


TRUE   PATRIOTISM. 


Ill 


striking  distance ;  and,  let  worst  come  to  worst,  the  nation 
could  at  least  die  with  all  its  wounds  in  front.  Better  so 
than  to  sneak  into  its  grave  a  few  years  later  with  scars 
on  its  back." 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  FIRST   CHARLESTON   EXPEDITION. 

NEW  expedition  was  talked  of.  Troops  were 
coming  from  Suffolk  to  Newbcrne,  and  a  naval 
fleet  was  gathering  at  Beaufort.  Wilmington 
was  aimed  at.  The  division  to  which  the  10th  belonged 
was  to  remain  behind.  Adjutant  Camp  was  so  anxious  to 
atone  for  what  he  deemed  his  recent  loss  of  service,  that  he 
proposed  to  accompany  the  expedition  on  the  staff  of  a 
commander  of  another  division.  But,  at  the  last  hour,  the 
10th  was  ordered  to  move  also,  and  Camp  gladly  remained 
with  his  regiment. 

The  10th  left  Newberne  by  railroad  for  Morehead  City, 
Monday,  Jan.  26,  18G3,  and  went  on  board  a  trans- 
port in  Beaufort  Harbor  the  same  day.  The  expedition 
planned  for  Wilmington  was,  on  account  of  the  loss  of  the 
original  "  Monitor"  and  from  other  causes,  turned  to  the 
department  of  the  South.  Its  destination  was  known  only 
to  the  commanding  general,  until  the  sailing  orders  were 
opened,  after  leaving  the  harbor,  Saturday  the  31st.  The 

trip  to    Port   Royal  was  quickly  and   pleasantly  made. 
112 


ST.    HELENA    ISLAND.  113 

The  satisfaction  on  finding  that  Charleston  was  the  point 
aimed  at  was  general  among  the  troops  of  the  expedition ; 
and  Camp  expressed  his  unfeigned  delight  at  the  prospect 
of  immediate  participation  in  a  movement  against  the 
nursery  of  treason. 

The  unfortunate  collision  between  Generals  Hunter  and 
Foster,  resulting  in  the  return  of  the  latter  to  North 
Carolina  without  his  troops,  was  a  cause  of  sad  disappoint- 
ment to  those  who  were  thus  parted  from  the  commander 
whom  they  loved  and  trusted  without  measure  or  doubt. 
The  officers  and  men  of  the  10th  were  peculiarly  tried ; 
for  they  had  been  ordered  off  only  at  the  last  moment, 
with  the  assurance  that  they  were  to  be  away  from  camp 
not  more  than  ten  days,  or  at  the  outside  a  fortnight. 
They  had  left  behind  all  camp  and  garrison  equipage, 
regimental  and  company  papers,  personal  baggage  beyond 
what  was  necessary  for  a  short  tour  of  field-service,  and 
even  those  officers  and  men  who  were  not  strong  enough  for 
a  march  and  an  immediate  fight.  The  order  to  land  on 
St.  Helena  Island,  opposite  Hilton  Head,  and  go  into 
camp  while  thus  circumstanced,  was  exceedingly  unsatis- 
factory ;  and  it  was  by  no  means  easy  for  them  to  have  a 
home  feeling,  even  as  soldiers,  while  lacking  so  much  that 
they  had  hitherto  deemed  essential  to  enjoyable  camp  life. 
But  they  adapted  themselves  as  best  they  could  to  their 
situation ;  and  with  the  shelter-tents,  of  which  they  then 
fii-st  had  experience,  supplemented  by  the  broad  leaves 
8 


114  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  the  palmetto,  soon  had  an  attractive  army  settlement, 
with  its  embowered  chapel,  its  hedged  streets,  and  its 
neatly  finished  and  ornamented  quarters  for  officers  and 
men. 

The  long  delay  in  waiting,  with  anxious  and  often 
deferred  hope  for  active  operations  in  the  department, 
was  not  lost  time  to  the  troops  of  the  expedition.  They 
improved  the  passing  days  in  perfecting  their  drill  and 
discipline.  Indeed,  the  10th  Regiment  never  appeared 
better  in  drill,  or  on  parade  and  review,  than  at  St.  Helena. 
It  won  the  highest  commendations  from  commanders  who 
visited  or  reviewed  it.  Adjutant  Camp  did  much,  even 
in  the  subordinate  position  he  then  held,  to  maintain  its 
character  and  advance  its  highest  interests.  Many  who 
were  there  remember  how  he  was  called  on  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Leggett  one  afternoon  to  conduct  the  battalion- 
drill,  and  how  he  performed  his  task.  He  had  never  before 
taken  the  battalion  in  hand.  He  had  not  for  weeks  even 
attended  drill, — his  services  not  being  essential  there,  and 
neither  field  nor  staff  having  horses  with  them,  —  nor  had 
be  five  minutes'  notice  that  he  was  to  be  pressed  into  the 
service.  He  said  aside  to  his  friend  that  he  should  have 
liked  ten  minutes  to  refresh  his  mind  as  to  a  few  move- 
ments ;  but  he  made  no  excuse  to  his  commander.  Stepping 
out  to  the  parade-ground,  he  relieved  his  seniors,  the 
captains,  and  then  for  an  hour  and  a  half  handled  the 
regiment  so  easily  and  correctly,  that  the  lieutenant- 


SABBATH- SCHOOL   EXPERIENCE.  115 

colonel  —  enthusiastic  and  accomplished  soldier  as  he 
was  —  said  to  him,  in  the  presence  of  others  that  evening, 
that  it  was  the  finest  battalion-drill  that  had  been  held  on 
the  island. 

Moreover,  Camp  was  rarely  absent  from  a  religious 
service  in  the  regiment ;  and,  although  always  loth  at  homo 
to  have  his  voice  heard  in  public,  he  was  now  ready  to 
share  with  the  chaplain  in  the  exercises  of  the  camp 
prayer-meeting  or  sabbath  school,  and  even  to  assume  the 
conduct  of  either,  in  case  of  the  illness  of  his  friend,  or 
when  the  latter  was  unavoidably  kept  away.  His  sabbath- 
school  experiences,  as  he  then  described  them,  will  not  be 
deemed  by  all  peculiar  to  himself  alone  :  — 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  interest  a  class.  I  have  improved 
somewhat  in  the  ability  to  talk  against  time,  though  it 
horrifies  me  sometimes  to  take  out  my  watch  and  find  that 
I've  got  to  make  two  verses  last  twenty  minutes.  But 
when  it  comes  to  drawing  out  others,  getting  them  to 
interest  themselves  and  to  talk  themselves  on  the  subject 
in  question,  I'm  stumped." 

Again  he  wrote,  when  called  to  act  as  both  superinten- 
dent and  teacher,  — 

"  Sabbath  school  was  in  the  morning  instead  of  the 
afternoon.  I  had  to  take  charge  again.  Teachers  as  well 
as  scholars  are  irregular.  To-day,  after  the  opening  exer- 
cises, Captain  Atherton  and  I  divided  the  school  between 
us.  I  became  thoroughly  interested  in  the  lesson  before 


116  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

we  were  through,  as  I  often  do,  and  enjoyed  it,  but  sha'n't 
dread  it  a  particle  less  for  next  time." 

Those  whom  he  taught  would  have  a  different  story  to 
tell  of  his  ability  to  interest  a  class.  Few  of  them  imagined 
that  he  so  dreaded  the  duty  he  performed  so  well. 

Of  the  South-Carolina  coast-scenery  he  wrote,  after  a 
visit  to  a  neighboring  island  to  St.  Helena,  — 

"  I  stood  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  beach,  and  looked 
seaward  through  a  grove  of  palmetto-trees,  with  their  tufted 
tops  and  strangely  figured  trunks.  The  sun  beat  down 
hot  on  the  yellow  sands ;  there  was  a  warm  haze  over  the 
blue  water,  dimming  the  nearer  shore,  and  hiding  the  dis- 
tant horizon ;  and  the  scene  was  so  thoroughly  oriental, 
that  I  could  as  easily  fancy  myself  on  the  shores  of  Pales- 
tine as  realize  that  I  was  on  those  of  Port  Royal,  and 
shouldn't  have  been  at  all  surprised  to  see  a  caraelopard 
stalk  up,  and  commence  browsing  on  the  palm-shoots." 

The  intimacy  of  the  adjutant  and  the  chaplain  grew 
closer  day  by  day.  After  leaving  Newberne  they  were 
seldom  separated  from  each  other  for  many  minutes  at  a 
time.  They  had  the  same  tent  and  blankets,  and  shared 
all  their  army  possessions.  They  came  to  be  known  widely 
as  "the  twins,"  from  being  always  seen  together.  Their 
free  interchange  of  sentiment  modified  the  views  of  each  on 
many  points  concerning  which  his  opinions  had  before  been 
positive.  Camp's  calm,  reliable  judgment  many  times 
held  in  check  the  chaplain's  nervous  impulsiveness ;  his 


CARD -PLAYING.  117 

stores  of  information  proved  the  other  often  in  error  as  to 
facts  bearing  on  a  question  at  issue ;  his  uniform  fairness 
liberalized  some  sentiments  of  his  friend  as  to  men  ana 
measures  ;  and  his  remarkable  purity  of  mind  and  consis- 
tency of  adherence  to  his  conscientious  views  of  right  could 
not  fail  to  be  elevating  and  ennobling  to  one  closely  asso- 
ciated with  him.  On  the  other  hand,  Camp  had  been  so 
accustomed  to  examine  every  question  in  its  purely  logical 
bearings,  as  sometimes  to  overlook  its  practical  relations  to 
every-day  life  in  the  world  as  it  is.  The  chaplain's  expe- 
rience among  men  furnished  his  friend  with  new  elements 
of  thought  in  some  discussions,  and  those  elements  he 
always  accepted  at  their  fullest  weight. 

His  change  of  sentiment  as  to  the  propriety  of  card- 
playing  and  wine-drinking  should  not  be  passed  over  without 
mention  in  the  record  of  Camp's  army-life.  As  neither 
of  these  practices  was  viewed  by  him  as  in  the  abstract 
sinful,  he  could  not  join  in  sweepingly  condemning  them. 
Although  personally  abstemious,  he  recognized  no  positive 
duty  of  abstinence,  hence  would  not  have  hesitated  to  drink 
a  glass  of  wine  had  he  wished  it,  and  as  readily  before 
others  as  by  himself;  for  what  he  considered  right  in  his 
practice  he  was  willing  to  have  as  an  example  to  those 
about  him.  Of  card-playing,  in  the  light  in  which  he  saw 
it,  he  said  at  one  time  that  he  should  no  more  shrink  from 
the  thought  of  being  killed  while  thus  engaged  than  while 
reading  the  daily  paper. 


118  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

The  abstinence  question  he  discussed  with  his  friend 
•while  they  were  making  a  passage  on  an  army-transport. 
The  two  stood  or  sat  together  on  the  deck  during  nearly 
all  of  one  night  in  the  final  argument.  Camp's  clear  head 
made  the  discussion  most  searching  and  thorough ;  and  no 
reason  that  could  be  adduced  in  defense  of  alcohol  as  a 
beverage,  or  the  propriety  of  its  use  by  any,  was  over- 
looked. It  was  after  mature  deliberation  upon  the  discus- 
sion of  that  night,  that  Camp  expressed  his  conviction  that 
total  abstinence  was  a  duty,  in  view  of  the  evils  of  intem- 
perance, the  weakness  of  tempted  human  nature,  and  the 
responsibility  of  every  man  for  his  personal  example. 
Thenceforward,  until  the  day  of  his  death,  only  on  one 
occasion,  did  a  drop  of  alcoholic  liquor  pass  his  lips ;  and 
that  was  during  his  week  of  escape  from  prison,  after  such 
a  soaking  in  the  cold  river,  on  a  wintry  night,  as  required 
an  immediate  stimulant  to  arouse  sufficient  nervous  action 
to  sustain  life.  He  more  than  once  refused  its  use,  even 
when  advised  as  a  medicine  by  the  very  friend  whose 
words  had  led  him  to  renounce  it. 

Of  the  other  mooted  theme,  he  wrote  from  St. 
Helena,  — 

"  Last  evening  we  discussed  card-playing.  You  know 
how  I  have  thought  and  talked  on  that  subject  for  the  last 
five  or  six  years.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour  brought  me 
to  his  side  of  the  question,  —  no  point  of  abstract  right  or 
of  absolute  duty,  but  of  practical  expediency.  That  is 


SEABROOK   ISLAND.  119 

what  I  have  all  my  life  neglected  sufficiently  to  consider. 
I  have  failed  both  in  theory  and  action  to  give  it  due 
weight.  A  thing  of  such  universal  application  too ;  there 
is  no  point  which  it  doesn't  touch.  I  am  beginning  to 
realize  this  as  I  never  have  before,  and  my  views  are  being 
modified  to  an  extent,  that,  if  carried  out  in  practice,  will 
affect  my  life  both  for  the  present  and  the  future." 

Never  afterward,  even  in  all  the  lonely  prison-hours  at 
Charleston,  Columbia,  and  Richmond,  where  at  times  he 
was  the  only  officer  thus  strict  in  his  views,  did  he  indulge 
in  a  single  game  of  cards.  Thus  true  was  he  ever  to  his 
convictions  of  duty,  whether  they  coincided  with  popular 
opinion  or  were  peculiarly  his  own. 

General  Stevenson's  brigade  left  St.  Helena  March  27, 
and  the  following  day  proceeded  on  transports  to  North 
Edisto  Inlet,  as  the  advance  of  Hunter  and  Dupont's 
expedition  against  Charleston ;  having  in  view  the  occupa- 
tion of  Seabrook  Island  to  protect  its  harbor  as  a  rendez- 
vous for  the  iron-clads  and  army-transports.  That  island 
was  then  in  the  enemy's  possession,  patroled  by  his  cavalry. 
General  Stevenson's  command  having  reached  the  inlet 
soon  after  noon  of  the  28th,  the  10th  landed  first,  while 
the  navy  vigorously  shelled  the  woods  of  the  island.  AVitli 
the  knowledge  that  resistance,  if  made  at  all,  would  most 
likely  be  offered  while  the  troops  were  landing,  the 
debarkation  was  exciting.  Five  huge  launches,  containing 
about  one  hundred  men  each,  pushed  off  from  the  steamer 


120  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  Cahawba,"  which  brought  the  10th  from  Hilton  Head, 
and  were  slowly  pulled  to  the  shore ;  the  men  meantime 
singing  cheerily  the  "John  Brown"  chorus.  Soon  as  the 
first  prow  struck  the  beach,  there  was  a  scramble  for  the 
land,  officers  and  men  vying  with  each  other  in  endeavors 
to  be  first  on  the  island.  Many  plunged  to  their  waists  into 
water  and  mud  in  then*  haste  to  be  foremost.  Then,  as 
Camp  wrote,  — 

"  We  formed  line  with  all  speed,  ready  to  repel  attack  ; 
and  when  all  had  landed,  and  piled  their  knapsacks  so  as 
to  march  with  ease  and  rapidity,  started  along  a  road  which 
skirted  the  beach  and  led  toward  the  upper  end  of  the 
island,  —  Captains  Goodyear  and  Atherton  deploying  skir- 
mishers in  advance  of  the  regiment.  General  Stevenson, 
Colonel  Otis,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Leggett,  Trumbull,  and 
myself  walked  at  the  head  of  the  column,  within  a  few 
yards  of  Captain  Goodyear's  men.  It  was  somewhat 
exciting  to  advance  thus  through  an  enemy's  country, 
doubtful  whether  it  was  occupied  by  them  at  the  time,  and 
uncertain  at  what  moment  we  might  meet  sudden  opposition. 
T.  and  I  enjoyed  it  exceedingly  together." 

Two  miles  up  the  island  the  regiment  halted  for  the 
night,  on  the  Seabrook  Plantation,  .  darkness  having 
already  shut  in.  The  24th  Massachusetts  and  the  5Gth 
New- York  State  Volunteers  were  in  close  support  of 
the  10th.  Soon  after  the  halt,  the  rebel  cavalry  made  a 
dash  upon  the  picket-reserves ;  and,  in  the  skirmish  which 


IN    CAMP.  121 

followed,  a  sergeant  of  the  10th  was  carried  off  a  prisoner, 
mortally  wounded.  "He  is  the  first  man,"  wrote  Camp, 
"ever  taken  forcibly  prisoner  from  the  regiment.  It 
would  have  been  better  to  lose  a  dozen  in  action." 

The  following  morning  the  10th  was  relieved  from 
picket,  and  returned  in  a  drenching  rain-storm  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  island  to  find  itself  quarters  in  a  comfortless 
swamp. 

"It  isn't  particularly  cheerful,  after  a  stormy  march," 
wrote  Camp,  "to  halt  in  the  midst  of  dripping  trees  and 

bushes,  look  about  one,  and  consider  that  his  home  for  the 

• 
next  few  days  is  to  be  right  there ;  that  he'll  have  just  as 

much  comfort  as  he  can  get  out  of  those  surroundings,  and 
no  more.  Walk  out  to  Talcott  Mountain  (though  that  is 
altogether  too  pleasant  a  place)  next  time  there's  a  good 
heavy  storm  fairly  in  progress,  and  see  how  it  seems." 

The  10th  was  soon,  in  spite  of  this  unpromising  loca- 
tion, in  a  comfortable  camp,  from  which  it  thenceforward 
alternated  with  the  other  regiments  of  the  command  in 
three-day  tours  of  outpost  duty,  anticipating  hopefully  an 
order  to  advance  to  a  more  active  part  in  the  opening 
campaign.  As  the  enemy  held  the  upper  part  of  Seabrook 
Island,  and  the  opposing  pickets  were  in  sight  of  each 
other  (the  enemy  often  firing  upon  the  "  intruding  Yankees," 
or  coming  down  in  the  night  to  feel  their  strength,  and  in 
the  hope  of  capturing  a  few  prisoners),  outpost  service 
was  there  sufficiently  exciting  to  render  it  attractive. 


122  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

General  Stevenson  wishing  to  know  more  of  the  topog 
raphy  of  the  island,  of  its  approaches  from  the  main  land, 
and  of  the  location  of  the  enemy's  reserves,  small  scouting 
parties  went  out  beyond  his  lines  from  time  to  time  to 
obtain  the  desired  information.  Such  undertakings  were 
peculiarly  in  keeping  with  the  tastes  and  impulses  of 
Adjutant  Camp.  Rarely,  if  ever,  did  he  fail  to  make  one 
of  the  party  so  advancing ;  and  in  more  instances  than  one 
he  and  his  friend  were  alone  on  such  a  scout.  Describing 
some  of  these  adventures  in  his  home-letters,  he  said  of  his 
enjoyment  in  them,  — 

"  The  necessity  of  constant  watchfulness,  of  having  an 
eye  for  every  sight  and  an  ear  for  every  sound ;  the  con- 
sciousness of  what  you  are  staking  upon  every  movement 
you  make,  and  the  uncertainty,  once  advanced  to  a  dan- 
gerous position,  whether  even  the  utmost  prudence  and 
courage  may  not  fail  to  extricate  you,  bring  into  play  every 
faculty  a  man  possesses,  and  put  a  tension  upon  every 
nerve.  The  enjoyment  is  intense ;  and  I  think  any  man 
who  is  thoroughly  ennuye,  and  has  worn  out  the  round  of 
civilized  amusements,  would  find  there  was  one  thrill  of 
untried  excitement  and  pleasure  left  for  him  if  he  would 
go  with  us  on  a  little  excursion  outside  the  lines.  Nothing 
but  an  actual  brush  with  the  enemy,  which  we  are  provoked 
to  have  missed  after  having  once  or  twice  offered  them  so 
fair  an  opportunity,  has  been  wanting  to  make  all  complete. 


ATTACK   ON    CHARLESTON.  123 

Trumbull  and  I  have  been  together  each  time,  and  enjoyed 
each  other's  presence  exceedingly." 

"\Vliou  finally  the  navy  was  ready  for  a  move,  the  troops 
on  Seabrook  Island  found  no  part  assigned  them  in  a  fur- 
ther advance.  This  was  to  Camp  a  sore  disappointment. 
It  was  with  longing  eyes  that  he  watched  from  a  high 
sand-bluff,  on  the  morning  of  Easter  Sabbath,  April  4tb, 
the  great  fleet  of  iron-clads  and  wooden  gunboats  sail  out 
of  Edisto  Inlet,  and  up  toward  Stono,  to  commence  the 
attack.  Two  days  later,  writing  from  his  little  "A" 
tent,  at  the  picket  reserve,  he  said,  — 

"As  I  write  this,  the  thunder  of  heavy  guns  to  the 
northward  is  almost  incessant.  The  attack  on  Charleston 
has  commenced.  I  counted  ten  reports  in  a  minute  a  lit- 
tle while  ago,  and  the  fire  seems  to  be  growing  hotter  and 
hotter.  We  chafe  and  fret  at  our  distance  from  the  fight ; 
but  there's  nothing  for  us  but  a  masterly  inactivity.  It  is 
terribly  provoking  to  sit  here  and  listen,  guarding  a  few 
miserable  old  schooners  from  an  attack  which  would  never 
be  made  in  any  event,  — and  to  think  that  this  is  our  share 
in  the  great  Charleston  expedition  !  " 

A  few  hours'  cannonading  ended  the  great  enterprise, 
which  had  been  so  many  weeks  preparing.  Camp  listened 
in  vain  for  a  resumption  of  the  attack  after  the  first  inter- 
mission in  the  firing ;  and,  as  he  listened,  he  wrote  thus  of 
his  outpost-home  with  its  attractions  and  annoyances :  — 


124  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

"I  have  hardly  seen  a  prettier  spot  than  this  island 
since  leaving  home,  Beaufort,  perhaps,  excepted.  Our 
field  and  staff  tents  are  by  themselves  in  a  quiet,  shady 
spot,  a  little  retired  from  the  main  road  up  the  island. 
The  high  sand-bluff  upon  the  beach,  used  as  a  lookout,  is 
directly  opposite  us,  —  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  through 
the  woods ;  and  we  are  lulled  to  sleep  at  night  by  the 
roar  of  the  surf  at  its  base.  To-night,  perhaps,  it  will  be 
a  sterner  thunder  than  that  of  ocean  storms ;  a  fiercer 
crash  than  that  of  waves  along  the  shore. 

"  But  the  gnats,  and  the  ants,  and  the  spiders,  and  the 
lizards,  and  the  scorpions,  and  the  moccasins,  and  the  alli- 
gators, and  the  rebels  (most  harmless  to  us  of  any),  are 
the  slight  drawbacks  upon  our  enjoyment." 

Of  another  drawback  upon  enjoyment  on  the  Southern 
coast,  he  humorously  added,  in  another  letter,  — 

"  When  you  hear  of  mosquitoes,  you  think  of  a  small 
brown  insect,  don't  you  ?  with  legs  and  wings  almost  in- 
visible, and  a  hum  audible  some  inches  from  the  ear.  I 
wish  you  could  see  the  animal  that  goes  by  the  same  name 
here.  When  /  speak  of  a  mosquito,  I  mean  something 
that  stands  a  little  less  than  fourteen  hands  high  (can't 
give  the  weight,  because  we  have  no  platform-scales)  ; 
whose  wings  are  like  Apollyon's  in  the  '  Pilgrim's  Prog- 
ress ; '  whose  muscular  legs  are  horribly  striped  with  black 
and  white  ;  whose  sting  is  like  the  dragon's  which  St. 
George  slew,  and  whose  voice  is  as  the  sound  of  many 


SEADROOK  ISLAND.  125 

waters.  I  think  of  writing  an  article  for  the  '  New-Eng- 
landcr,'  settling  the  question  what  beast  Job  described 
under  the  name  of  Behemoth,  by  demonstrating  that  it 
was  a  Carolina  mosquito  or  a  woodtick,  —  either  of  them 
would  furnish  a  more  plausible  theory  than  some  I  have 
read." 

The  stay  of  the  10th  at  Seabrook  Island  was  pro- 
longed ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  chafing  desire  to  be  in  more 
active  service,  Camp  enjoyed  his  life  there.  The  island 
was  a  good  specimen  of  the  cotton-growing  ones  of  the 
South-Carolina  coast.  There  were  rich  plantation-plains, 
malaria-breeding  marshes,  "  wild  swamps,  dense  thickets  of 
the  tangled  Southern  undergrowth,  lonely  palmetto-jungles, 
and  groves  of  low  branching  live-oaks,  deeply  fringed  with 
long  gray  moss."  Alligators  moved  lazily  through  the 
sluggish  waters  of  the  gloomy  lagoon,  and  poisonous  rep- 
tiles glided  through  the  rank  grass  before  the  tread  of  the 
passing  soldier.  Game  was  plenty,  —  deer  and  raccoons 
and  opossums  in  the  forests,  and  wild  fowl  in  the  creeks 
and  inlets,  while  the  waters  adjacent  furnished  a  rich  va- 
riety of  fish,  from  the  mammoth  sturgeon  to  the  small  and 
palatable  mullet. 

Here  is  one  of  many  incidents  of  army-life  on  the 
island :  — 

"  Coming  back  just  after  dark  from  the  picket-reserve 
to  camp,  we  heard  distant  singing,  which  proved,  as  we 
came  near,  to  be  a  group  of  the  97th  Pennsylvania 


126  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

singing  hymns.  We  stopped  to  listen ;  and  finally  T. 
determined  to  say  a  few  words  to  them,  and  did  it  as 
ho  knows  how  to  do  such  a  thing,  interesting  every  man 
of  them,  from  beginning  to  end,  and  concluding  with 
prayer.  I  liked  the  men's  appearance,  —  the  way  in 
•which  every  cap  came  off  when  T.  entered  the  group, 
and  the  respectful  attention  they  paid.  Their  manners 
were  real  Western,  —  free  and  easy,  without  the  slight- 
est intentional  disrespect  The  moment  the  meeting 
was  over,  they  crowded  around,  asked  T.  if  I  was  a 
Christian  man ;  and  every  one  of  them  wanted  to  shako 
hands  with  us,  and  have  a  good  sociable  talk.  Cor- 
dial, open-hearted  fellows,  —  it  was  very  pleasant,  if  not 
quite  military.  The  last  thing  our  men  would  think  of 
would  be  offering  to  shake  hands  with  an  officer.  The 
97th  have  no  chaplain;  but  there  is  a  strong  religious 
element  in  the  regiment,  and  quite  a  number  they  say 
have  been  converted  since  joining  the  army. 

"  Returning  to  picket  at  dusk  that  evening,  the  air  was 
one  blaze  of  fire-flies.  I  never  saw  any  pyrotechny  to 
equal  it.  There  are  many'  beautiful  things  at  the  South  ; 
but  nothing  under  heaven  would  ever  tempt  me  to  spend 
my  life  here.  I  should  die  for  pure  air  and  clear  streams, 
and  rocks  and  hills.  I  wouldn't  exchange  our  home-lot 
for  the  whole  State  of  South  Carolina." 


About  the  first  of  May,  while  the  work  of  intrenching 


SABBATH   SCHOOL.  127 

was  going  on  at  Seabrook  Island,  Chaplain  Trumbull  left 
for  a  brief  visit  to  Ncwberne  and  the  North,  on  business  for 
the  regiment.  The  parting  of  the  two  friends,  intimate  as 
they  had  become,  and  in  view  of  the  possibilities  of  war, 
was  trying  to  both. 

Writing  to  his  friend,  during  that  separation,  of  his 
loneliness,  Camp  expressively  declared  it  to  bo  "as  if 
the  air  were  deprived  of  one-half  of  its  oxygen  ; "  and  then 
added,  — 

"  I  used  to  think,  a  year  ago,  that  a  single  wall-tent 
furnished  very  narrow  accommodations  for  an  officer,  — 
mine  was  not  large  enough.  But  ours  seems  very  lonely 
and  empty  this  evening  :  there  is  a  great  vacancy  here,  and 
it  remains  unfilled,  no  matter  how  many  come  in.  I  could 
not  fully  realize,  before  we  were  separated,  how  thoroughly 
our  lives  had  become  blended,  how  sadly  I  should  miss 
you  every  hour  of  the  day,  how  anxiously  I  should  await 
the  time  of  your  return.  .  .  . 

"  There  is  a  constant  sense  of  want  while  you  are  absent, 
—  not  at  all  times  making  itself  distinctly  intelligible,  but 
ever  recurring  and  still  unsatisfied.  Wherever  I  turn, 
there  is  a  great  vacuum  before  me.  I  want  it  filled.  What 
do  you  suppose  would  do  it?  " 

In  the  chaplain's  absence,  the  adjutant  assumed  the  con- 
duct of  the  regimental  prayer-meetings  and  Sabbath  school. 
He  re-organized  the  latter,  secured  additional  teachers,  as- 
sembled them  with  their  associates  for  an  examination  of 


128  THE   KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

the  lesson  at  his  own  tent  on  Saturday  evenings,  and  can- 
vassed the  regiment  for  scholars.  In  all  respects,  the 
school  was  better  managed  than  while  the  chaplain  was 
with  it ;  and  the  prayer-meetings  of  the  regiment  were  nev- 
er warmer  or  seemingly  more  truly  profitable  than  then. 
As  in  every  thing  else  to  which  he  set  his  hand  and  heart, 
he  filled  the  place  better  than  it  could  be  filled  by  another. 

Gen.  Terry  assumed  command,  in  May,  of  the  troops  in 
North  Edisto  Inlet,  including  those  on  Seabrook  and  Bot- 
any Bay  islands.  Two  members  of  his  staff,  Capt.  Ives 
and  Lieut.  Johnson,  were  college  comrades  —  the  latter  a 
fellow-oarsman  in  the  Worcester  regatta  —  of  Henry  Camp, 
who  enjoyed  having  near  him  those  with  whom  he  had 
been  before  so  pleasantly  associated.  Occasional  excur- 
sions were  made  by  officers  and  men  of  the  10th  to 
neighboring  islands  patrolled  by  the  enemy,  to  make  ob- 
servations, and  to  obtain  furniture  and  building-materials 
for  their  camp  from  deserted  plantation-houses.  Of  an 
excursion  to  Edisto  Island,  with  two  companies  as  escort 
of  the  party  of  officers,  Camp  wrote,  in  description  of  the 
approach  to  the  Seabrook  place  :  — 

"  Beyond  the  bridge  we  moved  with  great  caution  ;  the 
skirmishers  widely  deployed,  and  keenly  observant  of  the 
house  and  shrubbery,  from  which,  as  we  were  now  within 
rifle-range,  we  half  expected  to  be  fired  upon.  Standing 
still  for  a  moment,  Dr.  Newton  saw  a  crow  perched  upon 
the  cupola  of  the  house.  '  All  right ! '  he  exclaimed  : 


SECURITY   IN  DANGER.  129 

'there  wouldn't  be  a  crow  there  if  there  were  fire  arms 
near  by.'  That  crow  was  worth  to  us,  in  the  way  of  evi- 
dence, as  much  as  a  whole  battalion  of  skirmishers.  It  was 
a  very  short  time  before  we  were  in  possession  of  the  estab- 
lishment. .  .  . 

"  It  is  strange  what  a  tendency  there  is,  after  once  taking 
possession  of  a  place  and  becoming  convinced  that  no  ene- 
my is  actually  on  the  premises,  to  settle  down  into  a  feel- 
ing of  security.  No  matter  how  nervously  it  may  have 
been  approached,  perhaps  all  the  more  for  the  very  reasons 
that  the  first  apprehensions  proved  groundless,  no  matter 
how  clear  a  knowledge  of  the  danger  still  existing  men 
may  have, — they  will  yet  act  as  if  there  were  none ;  and  it 
is  often  impossible,  without  a  distinct  effort  of  the  reason, 
to  realize  it.  Every  thing  looks  so  peaceful  and  quiet, — and, 
then,  there  is  the  guard  (seldom  in  fact  adequate  to  cover 
half  the  approaches),  who  would  probably  give  the  alarm 
in  time  enough,  unless  they  were  surprised.  So,  arms  are 
stacked,  and  we  wander  over  the  estate  as  carelessly  as  if 
it  was  on  the  shores  of  Long-Island  Sound,  instead  of  Ed- 
isto  Inlet.  Still  there  is  an  almost  unconscious  watchful- 
ness of  the  senses,  the  ear  is  wide  awake  for  the  sound  of 
a  rifle-shot,  no  matter  what  the  head  may  bo  thinking  of ; 
the  eye,  when  not  otherwise  employed,  is  very  apt  to  sweep 
the  circuit  of  surrounding  woods,  or  glance  down  the  road ; 
and  the  crash  of  a  breaking  window,  the  fall  of  a  heavy 
timber,  or  the  sight  of  an  animal  moving  among  the  distant 


130  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

bushes,  arrests  the  blackberry  half  way  between  the  vine 
and  one's  mouth,  or  saves  the  flower  for  which  his  band 
was  stretched  out,  and  puts  him  in  readiness,  on  the  slight- 
est confirmation  of  his  suspicion,  to  make  quick  time  to  the 
rendezvous.  .  .  . 

"  The  grounds  about  the  place  were  very  pleasant,  only 
needing  care.  There  were  paths  winding  through  dense 
shrubbery  and  passing  by  ornamental  bridges  over  a  little 
stream  ;  there  were  arbors  and  walks  shaded  by  foliage  too 
close  and  thick  to  give  passage  to  a  single  ray  of  sunlight ; 
there  were  enormous  rose-trees  lifting  far  above  my  head 
such  masses  of  gold  and  crimson  as  I  had  never  seen,  — 
cloth-of-gold  roses,  do  you  know  them  ?  —  each  as  large  as 
half  a  dozen  of  any  ordinary  variety,  crowded  with  petals 
of  golden  velvet,  so  rich  and  thick,  and  of  a  color  so  soft, 
that  you  can  compare  them  with  nothing  but  bits  of  sunset 
cloud  :  a  single  one  is  a  magnificent  bouquet.  There  was 
a  grove  of  orange-trees,  some  of  them  in  blossom  ;  the  pure 
white  buds  bursting  out  of  glossy  deep-green  leaves,  and 
filling  all  the  air  around  with  perfume  almost  too  rich  and 
overpowering.  There  were  strange  century-plants  like 
mighty  cactuses,  and  unfamiliar  tropical-looking  growths 
to  which  I  could  give  no  name.  The  luxuriance  and  full- 
ness of  vegetation  is  wonderful :  every  plant  seems  to  feel 
itself  at  home,  and  abandons  itself  to  utter  dissipation  and 
wantonness  of  unrestrained  development.  A  Southern 
April  has  more  of  glowing  bloom,  fierce  intensity  of  color 


A    RECONNOISSANCE.  131 

and  brilliancy,  in  contrast  with  more  of  somber  shade,  den- 
sity of  massive  growth,  and  depth  of  green  gloom  beneath, 
than  Northern  midsummer.  I  have  spoken  of  this  before ; 
but  it  was  peculiarly  noticeable  in  this  garden  where  culti- 
vation had  done  its  utmost,  and  then  left  Nature  to  work 
its  own  will.  .  .  . 

"  We  marched  back  along  the  sea-beach,  almost  every 
man  with  some  article  of  comfort  or  convenience  for  his 
tent,  scarcely  one  without  a  huge  bunch  of  these  gorgeous 
flowers  in  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  or  in  his  hand ;  so  that, 
marching  at  will,  we  looked  more  like  a  procession  of  Ital- 
ian peasants  returning  from  a  festival  than  a  battalion  of 
Connecticut  Yankees  coming  back  from  a  hazardous  recon- 
noissance." 

About  the  first  of  June,  the  chaplain  returned  to  the 
regiment,  and  the  friends  were  again  as  one.  Not  many 
days  after  their  re-union,  they  accompanied  Gen.  Stevenson, 
with  several  companies  of  the  10th,  beyond  the  picket-lines 
on  a  reconnoissance  to  the  extreme  upper  end  of  the  island 
to  examine  its  approaches  from  John's  Island.  The  rebel 
pickets  fell  back  on  the  approach  of  the  general's  party, 
and  retired  over  a  broken  causeway  to  a  collection  of  build- 
ings, including  an  old  sugar-house  on  the  John's-Isl- 
and  side  of  the  little  creek  which  bounded  Seabrook  Island 
in  that  direction.  There  were  indications  that  they  had  a 
strong  reserve  in  the  rear  of  those  buildings ;  but,  it  not  be- 
ing the  general's  purpose  to  go  beyond  the  island,  he  or- 


132  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

dercd  a  return  by  another  path  than  that  which  had  just 
been  passed  over.  Up  to  this  time,  he  had  met  with  no 
resistance. 

"Retiring,  the  skirmishers,  deployed  in  open  line, 
marched  in  the  rear.  Within  a  dozen  paces  were  the 
general,  with  two  or  three  of  his  friends,  —  Colonel  Otis, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Leggett,  Dr.  Newion,  T.,  and  myself. 
Captain  White,  who  commanded  the  skirmishers,  was  close 
by.  We  had  gone  some  little  distance,  supposing  that 
the  affair  was  over,  and  half  grumbling  that  it  had  amounted 
to  no  more,  when  we  were  startled  by  a  report  behind  us, 
followed  instantly  by  the  sharp  hiss  of  a  bullet  close  past 
our  heads.  The  skirmishers  —  to  say  nothing  of  any 
others  —  were  a  trifle  surprised.  Every  man  of  them 
ducked  his  head ;  and  we  found  ourselves  suddenly  just 
about  in  line  with  them.  Then  another  report  and  another 
bullet ;  this  time  a  few  feet  over  us,  and  a  little  one  side. 
Shot  followed  shot  in  quick  succession ;  now  two  or  three 
almost  together,  then  an  interval  of  quiet. 

"We  walked  slowly  along,  not  altering  our  pace, — 
sometimes  stooping  at  the  sound  of  the  explosion,  and 
sometimes  not.  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  there  was 
abundant  time  for  this  before  the  arrival  of  the  bullet,  — 
a  distinct  interval,  —  showing  that  its  velocity  and  that  of 
sound  differ  more  than  I  had  supposed.  It  must  have  been 
long  range ;  but  the  marksmanship  was  excellent.  Bullets 
struck  among  us,  passed  over  us,  by  us,  between  us, 


UNDER    FIRE.  133 

everywhere  but  through  us.  We  were  undoubtedly  made 
special  targets.  The  group  walking  together  was  an 
excellent  mark,  and  the  distance  was  short  enough ;  so  that, 
with  a  glass  at  least,  badges  of  rank  must  have  been  easily 
distinguishable.  Dr.  Newton  had  on  a  white  Panama  hat, 
• — just  the  thing  at  which  to  aim.  Colonel  Leggctt  was 
just  in  front  of  T.  and  myself,  a  little  one  side.  He  looked 
around  once,  saw  the  smoke  curl  from  the  muzzle  of  a  piece, 
and  instinctively  stepped  to  the  left.  In  a  second  more 
the  bullet  whistled  between  us  and  him,  passing  directly 
where  he  had  stood,  and  striking  the  ground  within  a  few 
inches  of  his  foot. 

"  The  difference  in  sound  between  different  bullets  was 
marked.  Some  had  the  fierce  whizz  of  the  spinning  rifle- 
ball,  some  the  sharp  hiss  of  the  smooth-bore  missile,  and 
some  a  fainter  and  less  vicious  'whssh,'  as  if  they  were 
almost  spent,  and  had  lost  half  their  venom.  Some  were 
more  distant ;  some  seemed  close  to  our  ears :  but  there 
was  hardly  one  ill  aimed,  and  it  was  really  strange  —  provi- 
dential, I  should  say  —  that  none  of  us  were  hit.  .  .  . 
The  most  tantalizing  thing  all  this  time  was  that  the  enemy 
kept  closely  under  cover.  We  didn't  catch  sight  of  a  man 
after  fire  was  opened.  Our  men  were  told  not  to  return 
it  unless  they  could  see  their  mark ;  and  the  result  was 
that  not  a  shot  was  fired  from  our  side.  They  did  not 
keep  it  up  long,  —  probably  kept  near  the  bridge,  —  and 
we  were  soon  out  of  range." 


134  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

The  enemy  seemed  provoked  at  the  escape  of  the  ven- 
turesome party,  and,  soon  after  the  latter  had  reached  its 
former  lines,  came  down  with  cavalry,  artillery,  and 
infantry,  and  opened  with  a  section  of  a  light  battery  from 
the  front  yard  of  the  Seabrook  House,  on  the  woods  which 
shielded  the  Union  pickets.  General  Stevenson  ordered 
up  two  guns  to  reply;  and  a  brisk  artillery  duel  followed, 
with  a  few  casualties  on  both  sides.  "  We  enjoyed 
intensely  the  exciting  sport,"  wrote  Camp  to  his  home, 
in  description  of  this  afternoon's  experiences :  then,  in 
defense  of  the  sentiment  thus  expressed,  he  said  in  a 
subsequent  letter,  — 

"  No  motive  that  is  not  positively  wrong  can,  I  think, 
be  spared.  There  is  lack,  rather  than  excess,  with  most. 
Whatever  may  be  the  underlying  principle  of  action  which 
is  really  at  the  basis  of  all  else,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  that  which  is  usually  uppermost  in  the  mind,. as  imme- 
diately affecting  the  conduct  in  time  of  danger  and  trial,  is 
the  excitement  of  the  struggle,  positively ;  negatively,  the 
shame  of  misconduct  or  failure.  As  long  as  men  are  mere 
men,  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be  otherwise.  If  the  higher 
inducements  to  duty  were  the  only  ones,  I  should  fear  for 
results.  What  will  be  the  effect  upon  character,  we  can 
judge  better,  perhaps,  when  the  war  is  over.  It  docs  not 
seem  to  me  that  they  will  be  otherwise  than  beneficial ; 
belief  which  is,  of  course,  the  necessary  sequence  of  a  belief 


JUDGE    ADVOCATE.  135 

in  the  motives  themselves  as  being  —  in  ultimate  subordi- 
nation to  nobler  ones — justifiable  and  right." 

The  fleet-captain  of  the  iron-clads  in  the  waters  of  Edisto 
was  Commander  George  W.  Rodgers  of  the  "  Cattskill," 
a  Christian  officer  of  rare  worth  and  attainments,  whom 
the  two  friends  found  congenial  in  tastes  and  sympathy. 
They  visited  him  in  his  vessel,  and  he  was  frequently  in 
their  tent.  It  was  Captain  Rodgers's  custom  to  conduct  a 
religious  service  among  his  men  each  sabbath,  and  he  was 
glad  to  have  the  chaplain  preach  for  him  occasionally; 
while  he  always  came  to  the  shore  for  the  camp  service  on 
the  sabbath,  when  he  could  do  so.  He  greatly  admired 
Adjutant  Camp,  saying  to  his  friend  that  he  deemed  him 
the  most  attractive  volunteer  officer  he  had  ever  met. 

The  adjutant  was  detailed  as  judge-advocate  of  a  general 
court-martial  on  Seabrook  Island ;  and  although,  with  his 
accustomed  distrust  of  himself  and  his  relentless  self- 
censure,  he  wrote,  "I  was  careless  and  clumsy,  made 
omissions  and  blunders,  and  did  myself  very  little  credit," 
he  won  warm  praise  from  the  officers  composing  the  court ; 
and  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  them  remarked  after- 
ward, that  every  member  of  it  became  attached  to  him, 
although  but  one  or  two  had  known  him  before. 

The  power  of  his  personal  presence  was  remarkable. 
Few  ever  saw  him  without  being  impressed  with  a  sense 


136  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  his  superiority.  The  impulse  to  lift  a  hat  to  him,  as  a 
tribute  to  his  dignified  manliness,  was  often  manifested 
even  by  those  above  him  in  official  rank.  Said  one  who 
was  always  his  superior  officer,  "  I  was  never  very  intimate 
with  Camp,  for  I  always  had  too  much  respect  for  him." 
The  better  he  was  known,  the  more  he  was  esteemed  and 
beloved. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

JAMES  ISLAND  AND   FORT  WAGNER. 

IN  the  evening  of  Monday,  July  6, 1863,  a  pleasant 
party  sat  at  dinner  in  the  field  and  staff  mess-tent 
of  the  10th  C.  V.  on  Seabrook  Island.  An  old- 
fashioned  New-England  chowder  had  been  prepared,  and 
General  Stevenson  and  Commander  Rodgers  invited  to 
share  it.  Besides  their  guests,  there  were  present  Colonel 
Otis,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Leggett,  Major  Greeley,  Surgeon 
Newton,  and  Assistant-Surgeon  Hart,  together  with  the 
adjutant  and  the  chaplain.  While  the  dinner  was  in 
progress,  and  all  were  enjoying  themselves,  with  hardly  a 
thought  of  severe  service  as  a  possibility  for  the  season, 
word  came  that  a  steamer  was  crossing  the  bar  at  the 
mouth  of  the  inlet ;  and  at  once  the  party  was  broken  up, 
never  to  be  re-united  on  earth.  Within  a  fortnight  from 
that  evening,  Adjutant  Camp  and  his  friend  were  prisoners 
in  a  Charleston  jail.  The  brave  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Leggett  lost  a  leg  in  the  trenches  of  Morris  Island,  and 
good  Commander  Rodgers  yielded  his  life  in  the  bombard- 
ment of  Wagner.  Later,  gallant  General  Stevenson  was 

137 


138  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

killed  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  and  Major  Camp 
fell  before  Richmond ;  while  Colonel  Otis  and  Surgeon 
Newton  left  the  service,  after  prolonged  and  arduous  cam- 
paigning. At  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  memorial, 
only  Major  (now  Colonel)  Greeley,  Surgeon  Hart,  and 
Chaplain  Trumbull,  remain  in  service  of  the  nine  who  then 
arose  from  the  table. 

"  Orders  had  come  to  go  aboard  the  'Ben  de  Ford'  (a 
large  ocean  steamer)  as  soon  as  she  arrived,  which  would 
be  during  the  night.  '  Light  marching  order,  forty  rounds 
of  ammunition  in  the  cartridge-boxes,  ten  days'  rations, 
shelter-tents  for  the  men.'  I  carried  the  order  round  to 
company  commanders.  It  is  curious  to  see  how  men  will 
take  a  bit  of  news  that  has  somewhat  of  the  startling  in  it. 
I  like  to  take  one,  and  watch ;  sec  with  what  an  utterly 
matter-of-course  air  they  listen ;  ask  a  question  that  may 
be  of  life  or  death  as  unconcernedly  as  they  would  ask 
whether  you  liked  your  beefsteak  rare  or  well  done ;  and  see 
behind  it  all  the  intense  interest  and  curiosity  with  which 
the  smallest  item  of  information  in  reference  to  the  affair  is 
caught  at  and  treasured  up.  I  was  amused  last  night  at 
a  lieutenant,  who  heard  what  I  had  to  say  to  him  as  quietly 
as  if  it  hardly  paid  him  for  taking  his  eyes  off  his  news- 
paper. I  left  the  tent,  but  had  occasion  to  repass  it  im- 
mediately. There  he  was,  performing  the  wildest  kind  of 
a  Pawnee  war-dance ;  just  about  half  crazy  with  delight 
and  excitement  at  the  prospect  of  work  ahead  NV\vs 


AT  JAMES  ISLAND.  139 

went  before  me  as  I  passed  down  the  line ;  and,  in  ten 
minutes,  preparations  were  under  full  headway." 

General  Stevenson's  troops,  with  the  exception  of 
enough  for  guard  duty,  left  Seabrook  Island  on  the  early 
morning  of  July  7.  Only  the  effective  men  of  the 
command  went  along,  and  the  officers  took  merely  such 
personal  baggage  as  could  be  carried  in  a  haversack  or 
light  valise.  The  understanding  was  that  they  were  to 
return  in  a  few  days ;  but,  as  in  the  leaving  of  Newberne, 
the  event  proved  that  they  were  not  to  go  back.  Sailing 
to  Port-Royal  Harbor,  they  waited  the  perfection  of  ar- 
rangements for  General  Gilhnore's  attack  on  Morris 
Island.  The  56th  New- York  regiment,  under  Colonel 
Van  Wyck,  was  with  the  10th  on  the  "Ben  de  Ford."  On 
the  evening  of  the  9th,  there  was  a  delightfully  impressive 
prayer-meeting  on  the  after-deck  of  the  steamer,  attended 
largely  by  the  officers  and  men  of  both  regiments,  which 
will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  any  who  participated  in 
it.  Soldiers  love  to  pray  before  they  fight.  Those  who 
trust  in  Jesus  draw  closer  to  him  then,  and  the  roughest 
are  reverent  at  such  a  time.  The  voices  of  prayer  were 
subdued,  yet  earnest;  and  the  songs  of  praise  were  mellow 
with  deep  feeling. 

The  morning  of  July  10  found  the  troops  of  General 
Terry — under  whom  General  Stevenson  was  commanding 
his  brigade  —  landing  at  the  lower  end  of  James  Island, 
in  conjunction  with  General  Strong's  advance  from  Folly 


140  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

to  Morris  Island.  The  former's  move  was  unopposed, 
and  he  chose  his  first  position  a  short  distance  up  the 
island.  From  the  roof  of  the  River  House,  a  full  view 
was  obtained  of  Charleston  and  its  harbor ;  and  the  friends 
watched  with  deepest  interest  the  firing  from  Sumter  and 
Moultrie  and  the  Morris-Island  batteries,  and  from  the 
iron-clad  fleet  in  the  offing,  and  speculated  on  the  progress 
and  prospects  of  the  battle  as  reports  came  over  from  the 
forces  of  General  Gillmore  in  that  direction. 

On  Saturday  evening,  just  before  sundown,  a  demon- 
stration was  made  toward  the  works  at  Sccessionvillc. 

"  The  24th  Massachusetts,  97th  Pennsylvania,  and  our- 
selves, advanced  ;  formed  line  of  battle  in  a  large  open 
field,  while  the  gunboats  shelled  the  ground  in  front ;  and 
at  dusk  we  threw  out  pickets  a  few  hundred  yards,  and 
bivouacked  for  the  night.  All  our  men,  except  one  com- 
pany, were  posted  on  picket,  and  covered  a  very  long 
front.  Henry  went  in  one  direction,  and  I  in  another, 
along  the  line,  to  carry  orders.  (Henry  I  always  call 
him  here;  and  I'm  going  to  quit  insulting  him  as  'T.' 
in  my  letters  to  you  ;  and  here  is  a  commencement.) 
Darkness  coming  on  rapidly,  I  lost  my  way  in  endeavor- 
ing to  gain  the  reserve.  The  field  had  been  plowed  in 
deep  furrows ;  was  overgrown  with  rank  weeds,  breast- 
high  ;  was  broken  up  by  thorny,  impenetrable  hedges,  and 
miry,  impassable  ditches ;  and  was  in  all  respects  about  as 
undesirable  a  place  for  an  evening  ramble  as  could  be  got 


A    NIGHT   TRAMP.  141 

up  to  order.  Every  other  step  among  tlie  irregular  fur- 
rows pitched  one  unexpectedly  forward,  jarring  every 
bone  in  his  body,  or  brought  him  up  standing  against  an 
ascending  slope.  Every  few  rods  brought  him  to  a  chasm, 
invisible  in  the  darkness,  until  his  foot  was  on  its  edge. 
Every  few  hundred  yards  plunged  him  into  briers  and 
bushes,  where  he  would  do  well  if  he  could  retrace  his 
steps  to  the  entrance  with  any  considerable  remnant  of 
clothes  or  skin.  Then  there  was  the  more  than  even 
chance  of  being  shot  by  our  own  pickets,  who,  so  near  the 
enemy's  works,  stand  upon  very  little  ceremony,  and  give 
their  single  challenge  in  scarcely  audible  tones,  lest  they 
should  be  heard  too  far.  Twice  I  but  just  distinguished 
it  among  the  crackling  underbrush  ;  and  often  I  halted  ab- 
ruptly, doubting  whether  I  had  heard  it  or  not.  Ordina- 
rily, having  found  the  picket-line,  it  would  be  easy  to 
reach  the  reserve  :  but  here,  the  pickets,  having  been 
moved  after  dark,  gave  the  most  contrary  directions  ;  and 
repeated  attempts  to  follow  their  advice  only  bewildered 
me  the  more  by  want  of  success  in  ascertaining  where  they 
had  brought  me." 

A  spot  is  seldom  found  more  perplexing  for  a  night 
tramp  than  that  seemingly  boundless  field,  with  its  furrows 
and  ditches  and  entangling  weeds,  and  the  enemy  so  near 
at  hand.  Men  who  were  then  on  post  tell  to  this  day  of 
the  many  bewildered  wanderers  who  came  prowling  along 
the  line  that  night  in  search  of  the  reserve,  and  of  the  con- 


142  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

fusing  whistling  and  signal-calling  at  right  and  left  and 
rear,  kept  up  for  hours  by  the  lost  ones,  or  by  those  who 
were  searching  for  them.  Hardly  an  officer  left  his  posi- 
tion but  he  had  difficulty  in  finding  his  way  back  to  it.  It 
was  near  midnight  before  Camp  and  his  friend  were  again 
together  at  the  reserve,  both  by  that  time  well-nigh  ex- 
hausted from  their  exertions  in  the  suffocating  air  of  a 
South-Carolina  July  night. 

."  We  spread  Henry's  buffalo  and  my  blankets,"  wrote 
Camp  the  next  day,  "over  an  India-rubber,  across  the 
furrows,  our  heads  resting  on  one  ridge,  our  feet  over 
another ;  and  composed  ourselves  for  a  capital  sleep,  tired 
enough.  Never  were  poor  fellows  worse  disappointed. 
Mosquitoes  attacked  us  in  a  style  to  which  rebels  wouldn't 
have  been  a  circumstance.  I  suppose  we  did  sleep  during 
the  night ;  but  we  didn't  know  it.  We  seemed  to  spend 
every  moment  in  writhing  into  new  positions  of  defense  or 
suffering.  I  was  driven  up  at  daylight.  Having  accom- 
plished that,  the  enemy  retired,  and  now  seem  to  be 
waiting  until  we  try  to  sleep  again  at  night." 

Camp  omitted  in  that  letter  to  tell  of  an  act  of  generous 
self-forgetfulness  of  his  that  morning.  The  chaplain,  who 
bad  left  Seabrook  Island  in  poor  health,  and  had  no 
surplus  strength  to  expend,  suffered  acutely  during 
that  night  of  torment .;  tossing  restlessly ;  unable  to 
sleep,  yet  unable  to  fully  awake ;  at  times  pulling  the 
blanket  as  a  mosquito-bar  over  his  face  and  hands,  to 


SELF-FORGETFULNESS.  143 

swelter  under  its  oppressive  weight ;  then  throwing  it  off 
only  to  be  bitten  at  every  exposed  atom  as  before ;  and 
thus  until  nearly  morning,  when  there  came  to  him  in  his 
half-consciousness  a  sense  of  exquisite  relief  in  the  draw- 
ing-away  of  the  heavy  blanket,  the  wiping  of  the  soaked 
face,  the  fanning  of  the  heated  brow,  the  keeping-back  of  the 
persecuting  swarm,  followed  by  such  delightful,  refreshing, 
satisfying  repose,  as  he  scarce  ever  knew  before  or  since. 
Understanding  his  friend's  condition  from  his  own  expe- 
rience, Camp  had  risen  to  care  for  him  with  affectionate 
tenderness  :  and  there  he  sat,  for  nearly  two  hours,  to 
secure  sleep  to  the  one  of  whose  comfort  he  was  ever  thus 
considerate ;  waking  him,  finally,  only  to  give  him  a  cup 
of  fresh  and  invigorating  army  coffee  which  he  had  had 
prepared.  Such  evidences  of  his  warmth  of  heart  and 
nobleness  of  nature  were  by  no  means  rare  toward  the 
one  blessed  with  his  friendship. 

"There  is  no  probability,"  Camp  added,  "that  wo 
shall  do  any  fighting  here,  though  we  expected  to  come 
under  fire  when  we  marched  yesterday  afternoon. 

"  The  most  uncomfortable  sensations  connected  with  a 
fight  are  those  of  immediate  anticipation,  without  the  excite- 
ment of  action.  Such  we  experienced  then,  but  army 
life  has  rendered  them  quite  familiar. 

"  Give  me  a  short  march  to  the  field,  fight  or  no 
fight." 

The  advanced  position  taken  on  Saturday  night  by  Gen- 


144  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

oral  Terry's  troops  was  held  for  several  days,  tbc  different 
regiments  alternating  in  picketing  its  front.  During  the 
afternoon  of  Wednesday  the  15th,  while  the  10th  was  on 
outpost,  the  enemy  made  a  demonstration  on  the  line  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  its  location  and  strength,  but 
retired  without  making  an  attack.  Of  what  followed, 
Camp  thus  wrote  :  — 

"  During  the  night,  there  were  occasional  shots  along 
the  line  of  outposts.  We  had  had  a  booth  constructed, 
open  on  all  four  sides,  but  covered  at  the  top.  Under  this, 
dry  grass  was  thickly  spread.  Our  buffalo  and  blankets 
laid  upon  this  made  the  most  luxurious  bed  we  had  en- 
joyed since  leaving  Seabrook  Island ;  and,  after  being 
disturbed  once  or  twice  in  the  evening  by  slight  showers, 
I  was  taking  the  comfort  of  it,  when,  just  about  daylight, 
I  was  aroused  by  the  bustle  about  me.  '  What  does  this 
mean?'  said  I  to  a  man  near  me.  '  There's  so  much 
firing,'  said  he,  '  that  the  colonel  has  ordered  the  tents 
struck  ; '  (shelter  tents,  of  course) .  I  opened  my  cars  : 
there  was  the  popping  of  not  very  distant  musketry, 
growing,  every  instant  that  I  listened,  louder  and  more 
rapid.  There  was  no  time  for  delay.  Henry  and  I 
dressed  ourselves  by  putting  on  our  coats  and  boots,  rolled 
up  our  blankets,  and  slung  our  haversacks.  As  we  did 
so,  a  messenger  came  to  say  that  the  54th  Massachusetts 
(colored) ,  who  were  picketed  on  our  right,  were  falling  back, 
and  the  enemy  following  close  upon  them.  This  was  serious 


SKIRMISHING.  145 

news ;  for,  being  on  tbe  extreme  left,  with  a  swamp  behind 
us,  our  communications  with  the  supports  in  tbe  rear  were 
endangered.  Almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  boom  of 
artillery  came  to  our  ears  from  the  left ;  and  a  glance 
showed  us  that  the  enemy  had  opened  upon  the  '  Pawnee,' 
which  lay  nearly  opposite  us  in  the  river.  A  second  shot 
followed  almost  immediately  upon  the  first,  and  the  shriek 
of  the  shell  through  the  air  ended  with  a  heavy  crash  as 
it  tore  its  way  through  the  vessel's  timbers.  The  rebel 
artillerists  already  had  the  range ;  and  two  batteries  at 
once  opened,  keeping  up  an  almost  incessant  roar  of 
explosions,  while  the  frequent  sound  of  splintering  wood- 
work showed  how  effective  was  their  fire. 

"  A  cloud  of  smoke,  lit  up  with  constant  flashes,  marked 
their  position  within  easy  range  of  our  own  ;  and  the  plan 
seemed  evident,  —  to  drive  in  the  center  of  our  picket-line, 
depriving  us  of  all  chance  of  support ;  to  cripple  the  vessel 
by  whose  guns  we  were  covered,  and  thus  render  us 
helpless  against  the  attack  of  the  vastly  superior  force 
which  could  easily  be  brought  down  upon  us.  Under 
this  fire,  —  wonderful  for  its  precision  and  rapidity,  —  the 
'  Pawnee  '  at  first  seemed  to  show  no  signs  of  life.  Shot 
after  shot  apparently  raked  her  from  stem  to  stern :  still  no 
answer.  At  length  came  the  deep  thunder  of  her  huge 
Parrott  gun ;  compared  with  which,  the  voices  of  the  rebel 
field-pieces  were  like  the  barking  of  a  pack  of  curs  against 
a  mastiff.  But  the  wildness  of  her  fire  contrasted  sadly 
10 


146  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

with  the  accuracy  of  the  enemy.  Her  gunners  were  evi- 
dently taken  by  surprise ;  and  shell  after  shell  burst  wide  of 
the  mark,  while  with  tedious  slowness  she  swung  gradu- 
ally broadside  on.  The  sight  was  a  beautiful  and  exciting 
one,  rarely  witnessed  to  such  advantage  as  now. 

"Meantime  we  were  not  idle.  Our  pickets  had  been 
sent  for,  with  orders  to  make  all  haste ;  and  from  every 
part  of  the  line  we  could  see  them  across  the  wide  plain 
coming  in  on  the  double-quick,  while  the  sound  of  mus- 
ketry upon  the  right  grew  continually  more  distinct  and 
frequent.  As  the  pickets  reached  the  reserve,  they  formed 
line.  The  last-comers  reported  that  the  enemy  were 
plainly  to  be  seen  near  at  hand  from  the  outposts,  a  few 
hundred  yards  distant.  Had  wo  been  in  any  other  posi- 
tion along  the  line,  it  would  bave  been  our  duty  to  resist 
their  advance ;  and  we  should  have  retired  slowly,  if  we 
had  retired  at  all,  fighting  as  we  went.  Here  it  would 
have  been  the  useless  and  inevitable  sacrifice  of  the  whole 
regiment  by  isolation  from  the  rest  of  the  command. 
Colonel  Leggett  had  received  orders  with  reference  to  this 
contingency,  and  acted  upon  them,  as  it  proved,  not  a 
moment  too  soon. 

"  The  order  was  given  to  march.  As  we  started,  heavy 
discharges  of  artillery  sounded  from  the  right :  at  least  a 
section  or  two  of  a  rebel  battery  had  taken  possession  not 
far  from  us  in  that  direction.  In  reply  to  these,  our  own 
field-guns  soon  opened,  and  were  served  with  a  rapidity 


SKIRMISHING.  147 

and  accuracy  which  spoke  well  for  our  friend  Captain  Rock- 
well (of  the  1st  Connecticut  light-battery),  and  compared 
favorably  with  the  rebel  fire.  So,  to  the  music  of  cannon  on 
the  right  and  left,  and  musketry  in  the  rear,  we  took  up 
our  unaccustomed  movement  away  from  the  front.  The 
rebels  and  ourselves  were  marching  upon  converging  lines, 
and  their  distance  from  the  point  of  intersection  was  but 
slightly  greater  than  our  own.  It  became  an  interesting 
question,  how  much  before  them  we  should  reach  it. 
Thickets  and  hedges  for  the  first  few  minutes  prevented 
our  seeing  them,  and  we  moved  in  ordinary  quick  time. 
Coming  at  length  to  a  point  whence  we  could  obtain  a 
view  of  the  wide  plain,  the  sight  that  disclosed  itself  was 
a  startling  one.  Large  bodies  of  gray-coated  men,  plainly 
visible,  and  already  within  rifb-range,  were  rapidly  and 
steadily  moving  down  toward  the  path  along  which  we  must 
march ;  their  advance  and  ours  very  nearly  upon  the  same 
line.  '  Double-quick  '  was  the  word ;  and  we  increased 
our  gait  to  a  trot.  Cut  off  by  such  a  force  as  that,  our 
case  was  hopeless :  it  was  life  or  death,  captivity  or  free- 
dom. Few  words  were  spoken :  each  man  saved  his 
breath  and  strength  for  the  time  of  greatest  need,  kept  his 
place  in  the  ranks,  and  moved  steadily  forward,  only  now 
and  then  turning  his  head  to  see  what  was  gained  or  lost 
The  dusk  of  morning  had  not  yet  changed  to  full  day- 
light. The  bushes  by  the  roadside  partially  concealed  us, 
and  we  were  probably  still  unseen.  Looking  back  toward 


148  THE    KNIGHTLY    SOLDIER. 

the  place  we  had  left,  a  long  line  of  cavalry  could  be  seen 
advancing  in  open  order;  the  enemy's  skirmishers  feel- 
ing their  way  toward  the  position,  which,  as  far  as  they 
knew,  we  still  occupied,  closing  about  it  from  all  sides. 

"  Five  minutes  later  that  morning,  and  I  should  be  writ- 
ing to  you,  if  writing  at  all,  from  a  Charleston  prison."  [He 
was  there  before  this  letter  reached  his  home.] 

"  The  sight  was  a  fine  one  :  an  outside  spectator,  at  least, 
would  have  considered  it  so.  It  is  seldom  that  one  sees  si- 
multaneous operations  of  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry 
upon  the  same  field.  We  were  naturally  more  interested  in 
results  than  appearances.  Had  fire  then  been  opened  upon 
us,  it  would  have  put  the  soldierly  discipline  and  steadi- 
ness which  our  men  were  proving  so  well  to  a  severer  test 
than  I  should  have  wished  to  see.  It  was  not  done.  We 
soon  reached  and  passed  the  point  of  greatest  danger,  and, 
leaving  the  road  as  soon  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  made 
it  practicable,  made  our  way  through  the  woods  to  our  camp, 
and  took  our  position  in  the  line  of  battle  upon  which  sev- 
eral regiments  were  already  formed. 

' '  Great  as  was  our  relief  at  escaping  the  more  immediate 
danger,  the  excitement  of  the  day  was  by  no  means  over. 
The  rebel  forces  which  had  so  nearly  intercepted  us  were 
soon  in  line  before  us.  Their  flag,  with  its  white  field  and 
red  union,  transversely  crossed  with  blue,  floated  at  inter- 
vals along  the  front,  showing  the  space  occupied  by  each 
regiment.  Mounted  officers  galloped  along  their  ranks ; 


JAMES   ISLAND   EVACUATED.  149 

and  it  looked  as  if  for  once  we  were  to  have  a  fair  field- 
fight.  So  we  stood  for  a  little  time,  watching  for  the  ball 
to  open.  Then,  instead  of  the  advance  which  we  expected, 
they  faced  to  the  right,  and  passed  at  a  double-quick  along 
our  front,  and  out  of  sight  behind  the  woods.  This  might 
be  a  movement  more  threatening  than  a  direct  one.  Our 
left  was  greatly  exposed.  Should  their  battery  flank  and 
enfilade  us,  our  own  regiment  and  the  56th  would  be  in  a 
very  critical  position,  unable  to  resist  an  attack  to  any  ad- 
vantage. Meantime  the  artillery  and  gunboats  kept  up  a 
constant  roar.  A  shell,  which  probably  came  from  the 
latter,  exploded  in  the  woods,  half  a  dozen  rods  behind  us ; 
and  their  fire  repeatedly  endangered  our  skirmishers  more 
than  that  of  the  enemy.  For  half  an  hour,  we  were  in  sus- 
pense :  then  came  word  that  they  had  retired.  The  artil- 
lery fire  ceased,  and  we  were  dismissed  from  our  position." 
The  loss  in  the  engagement  was  exclusively  to  the  54th 
Massachusetts,  Colonel  Shaw's  regiment,  which  had  fought 
so  bravely,  in  retiring  from  the  picket  line  under  overwhelm- 
ing pressure,  as  to  win  respect  from  all  other  troops  of  the 
command. 

The  night  after  the  battle,  James  Island  was  quietly 
evacuated  by  our  troops ;  the  purpose  of  its  occupancy,  in 
drawing  forces  from  the  direction  of  Morris  Island  while 
Gen.  Gillmore  obtained  a  foothold  there,  being  successfully 
accomplished.  The  march  in  darkness  and  rain  across  the 


150  THE   KNIGIITLY  SOLDIER. 

marshes  and  over  the  rickety  causeways  toward  Cole 
Island  was  tedious  and  perplexing ;  and  a  brief  rest  during 
the  next  day,  on  Cole  Island,  was  most  grateful  to  the 
weary  men  of  Stevenson's  brigade.  Yet  another  night 
called  for  a  new  move.  Hours  of  waiting  on  the  beach 
for  the  rising  tide  were  followed  by  hours  of  cramped  con- 
finement on  a  crowded  barge  in  a  drenching  rain. 

The  morning  of  Saturday,  July  18,  brought  the  troops 
to  the  shore  of  Folly  Island.  Marching  to  its  upper  end, 
they  were  ferried  thence  across  Lighthouse  Creek  to  Mor- 
ris Island,  just  as  the  heavy  bombardment  of  Fort  Wagner 
was  commenced  by  the  land  batteries  and  the  fleet  of  iron- 
clads and  wooden  gunboats.  The  tired  troops  from  James 
Island  had  but  little  time  for  rest. 

"About  five  P.M.,"  wrote  Camp,  "came  the  order  to 
fall  in,  and  march  down  to  the  shore.  We  were  not  the  only 
troops,  it  seemed,  who  had  received  the  same  instructions. 
Far  up  the  beach  stretched  the  long  column,  of  which  Ste- 
venson's entire  brigade  formed  less  than  a  third  part.  There 
was  little  doubt  as  to  the  work  before  us,  and  that  little 
was  speedily  set  at  rest  by  word  from  the  general  himself. 
We  were  to  storm  the  fort.  Our  hearts  beat  high  and  fast. 
Our  men  were  faint  and  weary  with  days  and  nights  of 
sleeplessness  and  toil.  Scarcely  three  hours'  rest,  and  now 
work  to  which  all  else  had  been  as  play  was  set  before 
them ;  but  the  announcement  sent  new  strength  through 
each  vein.  To  storm  the  fort  —  that  was  a  new  and  untried 


BEFORE    THE   ASSAULT.  151 

task.  On  the  open  field,  and  before  rifle-pits  and  field- 
works,  they  had  more  than  once  already  marched  through 
the  rain  of  bullets,  and  over  captured  batteries.  But  now 
it  was  to  wade  the  ditch,  to  clamber  with  hand  and  foot  up 
the  steep  slope  beyond,  while  grape  and  canister  would 
pour  forth  with  the  very  blaze  of  the  powder  in  their  faces 
from  the  huge  siege-guns,  into  whose  muzzles  they  must 
look,  to  meet  at  the  parapet's  edge  the  bayonets  of  its 
defenders,  and  force  the  foe  upward  and  backward  over 
his  own  vantage-ground.  The  feeling  was  not  of  doubt  or 
shrinking,  but  of  curiosity  mingled  with  firm  resolve,  be 
the  untried  struggle  what  it  might,  —  wonder  with  fierce 
excitement.  Among  the  groups  of  officers,  as  we  stood 
at  a  halt  and  along  the  ranks,  some  faces  glowed  with  the 
strange  joy  of  combat ;  but  most  had  the  fixed  look  of  de- 
termination, swallowing  up  every  trace  of  emotion. 

"We  anticipated,  at  first,  the  leading  place  in  the 
assault ;  but,  when  the  column  finally  moved  forward,  we 
were  some  distance  from  its  head.  As  we  advanced,  the 
bombardment  grew  hotter  and  hotter ;  while  the  enemy,  pn 
their  part,  sent  only  an  occasional  shot  or  shell,  —  some- 
times from  the  Cummings-Point  Battery,  sometimes  even 
from  distant  Sumter,  —  whizzing  by  in  front  of  us,  or 
passing  overhead,  and  dashing  up  the  water  a  little  distance 
from  the  shore.  Reaching  at  length  the  outermost  range 
of  sand  hills,  from  which  level  marshy  ground  stretches 
away  toward  the  fort  some  twelve  or  fourteen  hundred 


152  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

yards  distant,  our  brigade  was  detached  from  the  column, 
and  sent  into  the  trenches,  to  remain  under  cover  until 
re-enforcements  should  be  needed  at  the  front.  It  was  a 
disappointment  not  to  be  allowed  to  participate  in  the  first 
attack ;  but  the  decision  was  probably  made  in  view  of  the 
physical  exhaustion  of  the  men  after  their  recent  hardships. 
"  For  a  few  moments  we  stood  still  in  the  shelter  thus 
afforded,  and  listened  with  a  feeling  of  comparative  security 
to  the  howl  of  shot  and  shell  over  us,  as  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  increased  in  rapidity  and  frequency.  But  the 
desire  to  see  the  progress  of  the  movement  conquered  all 
else ;  and  Henry  and  I  speedily  mounted  the  bank,  and 
looked  out  before  us,  —  taking,  a  few  minutes  afterward, 
still  another  position,  partially  covered,  and  yet  able  to 
command  a  view  of  the  entire  field.  Our  column  was  still 
moving  on  in  silence,  the  rapidly  advancing  darkness 
almost  hiding  them  from  our  sight.  On  our  left,  within 
a  few  yards  of  us,  stood  General  Gillmore  and  his  staff, 
watching  intently  from  a  slight  elevation  all  that  lay 
beneath,  regardless  of  the  no  inconsiderable  danger  to 
which  we  were  all  exposed.  The  intervals  were  short 
between  the  discharges  of  the  enemy's  artillery.  We  could 
see  the  burning  fuze  describe  its  curve  through  the  air, 
unable  sometimes  to  determine  whether  from  a  piece  of 
theirs  or  of -our  own, — .now  diverging  widely  to  the  right 
or  left,  now  seeming  to  come  directly  toward  us ;  then,  as 
we  stooped  behind  our  defences,  the  swift  rush  of  the  shell 


THE    ASSAULT.  153 

and  the  loud  report  of  its  explosion,  — harmless  if  in  frcnt, 
dangerous  if  overhead  or  within  short  distance  to  the  rear. 
One,  bursting  a  few  yards  behind  Henry  and  myself, 
sprinkled  us  with  the  earth  which  it  threw  up. 

"  Night  was  soon  fairly  upon  us,  and  the  scene  became 
one  of  absolute  magnificence.  The  firing  of  the  fleet  was 
almost  incessant, — twenty  or  thirty  discharges  in  a  minute, 
—  keeping  up  one  uninterrupted  peal  of  thunder;  while 
each  flash  lighted  up  the  vessel  from  which  it  came,  the 
smoke  which  rolled  upward,  and  the  water  beneath,  with 
vivid  brilliance.  Nothing  in  the  way  of  pyrotechnics 
could  equal  in  effect  a  broadside  from  the  '  Ironsides ; ' 
its  swift  tongues  of  flame  piercing  deep  into  the  darkness, 
and  bringing  out  into  momentary  distinctness  the  immense 
hull  from  which  they  sprung,  and  the  heavy  boom  of  the 
discharges  coming  over  the  water  after  long  apparent 
delay;  while  the  fancy  followed  into  the  dark  fort  the 
fourteen  hundred  pounds  of  solid  iron  which  flew  mean- 
time, and  wondered  if  they  did  their  work. 

"  When  a  small  boat  put  off  from  the  shore  toward  the 
fleet,  and  when  shortly  afterward  the  firing  from  the  vessels 
grew  slack,  and  then  ceased  altogether,  we  knew  what  it 
must  mean,  and  looked  still  more  anxiously  over  the  plain. 
A  few  minutes  of  comparative  silence,  and  then  a  burst  of 
flame  from  the  walls  of  the  fort,  —  otherwise  undistinguish- 
able  in  the  darkness,  —  and  the  sharp  crackle  of  musketry 
told  us  that  the  assault  had  commenced.  Heavy  discharges 


154  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  artillery  followed  in  rapid  succession,  flashing  like  heat- 
lightning  ;  while  the  little  jets  of  fire  from  the  rifles  made 
a  sparkling  frieze  along  the  dark  parapet.  Ah  !  how  men 
were  falling  there  !  —  mowed  down  by  whole  companies,  as 
grape-shot  and  bullets  tore  through  their  ranks.  Nothing 
but  flash  and  report  was  to  be  seen  or  heard.  We  could 
only  fancy  the  fearful  work  that  was  going  on,  and  hope 
that  the  result  would  compensate  for  it  all.  Now  the  fire 
seemed  to  be  growing  less  hot ;  occasionally  almost  ceasing 
for  a  brief  space,  then  bursting  out  again  with  new  fury. 

"  We  watched  eagerly  and  waited,  but  no  news  came 
back  to  us ;  nor  did  General  Gillmore  himself  seem  to 
receive  any  information  from  the  front.  Finally,  as  if 
impatient  of  the  delay,  and  anxious  that  no  time  should 
be  lost  when  help  was  called  for,  he  ordered  our  brigade 
forward  to  the  outermost  lines,  —  a  mere  sand-bag  breast- 
work, where  a  few  pieces  of  artillery  had  lately  been  put 
in  position.  We  advanced  in  line  of  battle  irregularly 
enough  over  the  marshy,  uneven  ground,  in  darkness  so 
thick  that  but  a  small  part  of  the  line  could  be  seen  at 
once.  Shell  flew  thickly  over  and  around  us,  exploding 
on  all  sides ;  but  we  were  unharmed,  and  soon  found  our- 
selves again  under  shelter,  such  as  it  was,  several  hundred 
yards  further  to  the  front  than  before. 

"  The  fight  was  still  raging,  but  with  less  intensity  than 
an  hour  previous.  Again  we  watched  its  varying  aspect, 
until  at  length  a  messenger  came.  '  Our  forces  were  within 


DEFEAT.  155 

the  fort,  but  needed  support :  Stevenson's  brigade  would 
go  forward.'  Gladly  we  obeyed  the  summons;  but  the 
execution  of  the  order  had  been  hardly  commenced  when 
it  was  countermanded,  and  another  of  ill-boding  significance 
substituted.  We  were  again  to  form  line,  and  stop  all 
stragglers  who  might  endeavor  to  pass  us.  Few  came. 
Once  or  twice  in  the  darkness,  I  saw  a  man  moving  toward 
the  rear.  '  What  are  you  doing  here  ? '  said  I  to  one  poor 
fellow  as  I  stopped  him.  '  I'm  wounded,'  said  he,  and, 
knowing  that  I  would  not  accept  the  threadbare  excuse  of 
every  straggler  without  proof,  took  my  hand,  and  laid  it 
into  the  gory  furrow  plowed  upon  his  head  by  some 
fragment  of  shell.  I  didn't  keep  him  long  waiting. 
Another  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  but  still  able  to  walk. 
And  so  they  came ;  though  most  of  those  who  could  make 
their  own  way  back  to  hospital  followed  the  beach  down, 
and  we  saw  nothing  of  them.  Once  a  horrible  chorus  of 
groans  and  shrieks  rose  from  the  direction  of  the  water, 
and  then  all  was  silent  again.  We  were  told  afterward 
that  the  ambulances,  in  the  darkness,  ran  over  some 
wounded  men. 

"  About  eleven  o'clock,  a  report  was  brought  that  we  had 
been  successful ;  and  it  was  later  than  that  before  the  firing 
altogether  ceased ;  but  by  midnight  there  was  very  little 
doubt  that  the  result  had  been  unfavorable.  Once  or  twice 
we  were  roused  by  the  report  of  the  sentries  that  move- 
ments were  to  be  seen  upon  the  plain  in  front ;  but  we 


156  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

were  exceedingly  weary,  and  I,  at  least,  lost  hardly  a 
moment  after  each  story  was  pronounced  false,  before 
sinking  back  into  sound  sleep." 

The  10th  not  being  engaged,  the  chaplain  had  turned 
aside  from  his  regiment,  when  the  earliest  wounded  came 
back  from  the  assaulting  column,  to  aid  in  caring  for  them  ; 
and  he  was  separated  from  his  friend  until  the  dawning  of 
the  gloomy  sabbath  morning  which  succeeded  that  night 
of  carnage  and  defeat.  Their  regiment  holding  the  outer- 
most lines  of  defense,  the  friends  could  then  see  distinctly 
the  entire  battle-field,  with  its  scores  of  dead  and  wounded 
yet  uncarcd  for,  —  the  rising  tide  actually  drowning  some 
of  the  poor  fellows  who  were  unable  to  crawl  away  to  high- 
er ground  than  the  sand-hollows  in  which  they  lay ;  but 
they  could  do  nothing  for  the  relief  of  any  beyond  their 
lines.  When,  about  noon,  they  were  told  by  their  com- 
manding officer  that  a  flag  of  truce  which  they  had  seen 
pass  out  had  secured  a  brief  armistice,  that  the  dead  might 
be  buried  and  the  wounded  removed,  the  chaplain  was  glad 
of  an  opportunity  to  go  and  minister  to  those  who  so  sadly 
needed  help  ;  and  Camp  was  ready  to  accompany  him,  as 
always, —  not  only,  in  this  instance,  that  he  might  be  of  ser- 
vice, but  in  the  hope  of  hearing  of  some  college  classmates, 
who  were  from  the  vicinity  of  Charleston. 

The  friends  went  out,  with  the  full  approbation  of  their 
superior  officers,  for  a  work,  which,  as  the  mission  of  one, 
was  the  duty  of  both.  They  had  no  reason  to  anticipate 


PRISONERS.  157 

exposure  to  capture,  or  deem  their  movement  in  any  sense 
venturesome.  Passing  a  few  rods  beyond  their  pickets, 
they  met  a  Confederate  sergeant  with  a  squad  of  men,  who 
neither  halted  them  nor  seemed  surprised  at  their  advance. 
Of  him  they  inquired  if  the  armistice  still  held.  "  I  be- 
lieve so,"  was  his  reply.  To  make  the  matter  sure,  they 
asked  for  his  officers.  He  pointed  to  a  group  close  at  hand  ; 
and,  as  the  friends  moved  thither,  one  of  the  officers  stepped 
forward  quickly  with  the  remark,  "  Prisoners !  gentle- 
men." A  statement  being  made  as  to  the  understood  ar- 
rangement and  the  object  of  the  visit,  the  officer  claimed 
that  the  agreement  covered  only  a  cessation  of  hostilities, 
for  attention  to  dead  and  wounded  by  each  party,  within 
their  own  lines,  and  insisted  on  considering  the  friends 
as  prisoners.  They  protested  against  being  held  under 
such  circumstances,  while  engaged  in  a  humane  work,  at  a 
time  of  admitted  amity,  especially  as  the  sergeant  on  what 
was  now  claimed  as  the  line  had  freely  permitted  them  to 
pass.  One  of  the  Charleston  officers  of  the  party  was  evi- 
dently unwilling  to  have  them  detained ;  but  the  captain  on 
General  Hay  good's  staff,  who  had  first  stopped  them,  being 
a  renegade  Northerner,  had  less  of  fairness,  and  refused  to 
release  them  until  their  case  was  laid  before  his  general, 
then  in  command  of  Fort  Wagner.  After  considerable 
delay,  word  came  back,  that,  while  General  Hay  good  did  not 
wish  to  take  any  advantage  of  a  misunderstanding  in  such 
a  matter,  he  could  not  assume  the  responsibility  of  releasing 


158  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  friends  now  that  they  were  held,  without  special  au- 
thority from  General  Ripley,  at  Charleston,  to  whom  he 
would  submit  their  case.  After  two  or  three  more  hours 
of  anxious  waiting,  the  friends  were  led  blindfold  along 
the  beach,  past  Fort  "Wagner,  to  Cummings's  Point,  where 
they  remained  until  sundown ;  being  told  all  the  while  that 
the  question  as  to  their  release  was  yet  undecided.  In  the 
evening,  they,  with  other  prisoners,  including  many  wound- 
ed, were  taken  up  to  Charleston  by  steamer,  stopping  for 
awhile  at  Fort  Sumter ;  being  probably  the  last  Union 
officers  at  that  world-renowned  fortress  before  its  destruc- 
tion, a  few  weeks  later.  Reaching  the  city,  they  were 
marched  with  the  colored  privates  of  the  Massachusetts  54th 
Regiment,  amid  the  jeers  of  the  populace,  through  the  streets, 
to  the  provost-marshal's.  Thence  they  were  taken  to  the 
gloomy  jail,  and  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  thrust  —  twenty  in 
all — into  a  small  and  filthy  room,  without  furniture,  and  not 
largo  enough  for  all  to  find  a  place  on  the  floor,  without 
overlapping  one  another.  By  special  order  from  General 
Ripley,  the  friends  were  to  pass  the  night  with  the  colored 
privates,  instead  of  with  white  officers ;  but  that  was  the 
least  annoyance  which  made  their  first  night  in  prison  so 
sad  and  gloomy. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
PRISON  LIFE  AND  ESCAPE. 

JTRANGE  sensations,"  wrote  Camp,  "  are  those 
which  a  man  experiences  during  his  first  hours  in 
prison.  The  consciousness  of  helplessness  under 
restraint  produces  a  feeling  of  absolute  suffocation,  a  night- 
mare oppression,  with  a  nervousness  that  makes  it  impos- 
sible to  sit  or  stand  still,  to  concentrate  the  thoughts  on 
any  subject,  or  to  do  any  thing  but  pace  up  and  down 
the  longest  possible  beat  which  the  narrow  limits  of  con- 
finement will  afford. 

"  We  were  allowed  in  the  morning  to  purchase  some 
bread,  and  a  decoction  of  rye  or  barley  as  a  substitute  for 
coffee.  Early  in  the  forenoon,  Henry  and  I  were  removed 
from  the  room  in  which  we  had  slept,  taken  through  long 
corridors  with  their  grated  iron  doors,  up  flight  after  flight 
of  massive  stone  stairs,  to  a  room  in  one  of  the  upper  sto- 
ries,—  the  quarters  of  imprisoned  officers.  Here  we  found 
the  officers  taken  on  Saturday  night  in  the  assault.  .  .  . 

"  Henry  and  I  had  been  congratulating  one  another  that 
we  were  together,  speaking  of  how  much  harder  to  endure 
all  this  would  be  but  for  our  mutual  help  and  sympathy ; 

159 


160  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

when,  about  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  an  order  came 
detailing  the  captured  chaplain  and  nineteen  men  to  assist 
in  caring  for  the  wounded  at  the  hospital.  It  was  a  heavy 
blow  for  us  both.  I  would  gladly  have  gone  as  one  of  the 
nineteen  ;  but  orders  were  strict  that  no  officer  should  be  in- 
cluded in  the  number.  We  parted  sadly  enough,  more  so 
than  on  the  eve  of  battle ;  for  we  had  more  apprehensions 
for  the  future.  Up  to  this  hour,  matters  had  not  worn  so 
gloomy  an  aspect.  Together,  we  had  felt  comparatively 
strong;  in  the  prospect  of  separation,  despondent  enough. 
The  day  dragged  heavily  along.  ...  At  evening,  the 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  were  taken  down 
into  the  prison-yard,  paroled  not-  to  bear  arms  again  un- 
til exchanged,  and  returned  to  their  cells.  These  were  in 
the  same  corridor  with  our  own  :  all  the  doors  within  it  were 
kept  open ;  and  we  could  pass  freely  among  them.  It  was 
rumored  that  they  were  to  go  to  Columbia  in  the  morning ; 
whether  we  should  accompany  them  we  did  not  hear.  Even 
when  we  were  all  ordered  down  to  the  yard  at  five  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  we  thought  it  was  only  that  our  quarters 
might  be  cleaned.  The  roll  was  called,  and  we  were 
formed  in  line  for  a  march.  It  was  hard  thus  to  be  sepa- 
rated so  much  further  from  Henry,  without  the  opportunity 
of  exchanging  a  word  with  him,  so  much  as  to  say  good-by. 
Parting  thus  in  an  enemy's  country,  a  hundred  miles  and 
more  of  distance  to  be  placed  between  us,  the  pros- 
pect of  our  ever  meeting  again  seemed  doubtful  and  dis- 


RICHLAND    JAIL.  161 

tant.  He  would  not  even  know  of  my  going  until  I  was 
far  away  :  it  was  the  climax  of  all  I  bad  dreaded.  We 
were  marched  to  the  depot,  put  on  board  the  cars,  and  the 
train  started  almost  immediately." 

The  party  reached  Columbia  that  night,  and  were  taken 
at  once  to  Richland  Jail,  where  they  found  the  officers 
captured  in  the  first  assault  on  Wagner. 

"  We  and  our  new  fellow-prisoners  introduced  ourselves 
to  one  another,"  wrote  Camp,  "  talked  over,  as  in  the 
Charleston  prison,  all  the  news  we  brought;  and  we  speed- 
ily began  to  feel  ourselves  comparatively  at  home  in  ac- 
commodations far  superior  to  those  we  had  left.  At  three- 
quarters  past  eight,  the  bell  in  the  tower  of  the  town-hall, 
only  a  few  rods  distant,  rung  rapidly  for  a  few  minutes,  — 
the  signal,  we  were  told,  for  negroes  to  leave  the  streets. 
As  the  clock  struck  the  last  stroke  of  nine,  the  watchman 
in  the  balcony  beneath  it  called  aloud,  with  curious  inflec- 
tion of  tone,  '  Past  nine  o'clock  ! '  We  took  the  hint  and 
retired.  At  quarter  past  nine,  the  watchman's  voice 
sounded  again,  'All's  well ! '  In  fifteen  minutes  more, 
'Half-past  nine  o'clock!'  Again,  'All's  well!'  Then, 
'Past  ten  o'clock,'  and  so  through  the  night,  —  though 
for  my  part  I  hardly  heard  him  once. 

"  The  next  day  passed  slowly.     I  was  still  exceedingly 

nervous,  and  full  of  anxiety  on  account  of  my  separation 

from  Henry.     I  spent  a  large  part  of  the  time  pacing  up 

and  down  the  room,  and  fancying  what  might  be,  and 

11 


162  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

might  have  been,  until  I  was  tired  enough  to  sit  down 
upon  the  floor,  and  rest.  I  wrote  to  Henry  that  afternoon, 
giving  the  letter  to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  with  that 
which  I  wrote  home." 

In  that  letter  to  his  friend,  Camp  said  hopefully,  — 
"  No  one  here  seems  to  know  of  or  believe  in  any  inter- 
ruption of  the  arrangements  for  exchange.  The  Charles- 
ton papers  mention  recent  exchanges  at  the  West,  and  I 
hope  we  may  be  put  rapidly  around  the  track.  Wouldn't 
it  be  pleasant  to  meet  on  our  own  side  of  the  lines  within 
two  or  three  weeks  ?  I  do  not  flatter  myself  that  this  is 
certainly  to  be.  I  know  that  months  of  imprisonment  and 
separation  may  be  before  us ;  but  I  try  to  look,  as  far  as 
it  is  reasonable  to  do  so,  upon  the  bright  side,  and  suc- 
ceed in  this  much  better  than  at  first.  But  for  my  anxiety 
on  your  account  I  should  be  in  good  spirits  :  even  as  it  is, 
I  do  not  call  myself  blue.  We  are  both  in  God's  hands. 
Ho  has  dealt  with  us  very  kindly  hitherto  :  let  us  trust 
him  for  the  future.  I  do  believe  that  he  will  permit  us 
again  to  stand  side  by  side  in  our  country's  service  ;  and, 
whatever  else  may  be  his  decree,  that  we  shall  see  by  and 
by  that  all  was  for  the  best.  I  have  been  wont  so  to  lean 
upon  you,  that  I  feel  sadly  the  loss  of  your  support ;  but 
our  attachment  to  one  another  grows  stronger  through 
trial,  and  there  are  bright  days  yet  in  store  for  us.  Mean- 
time, take  courage.  There  is  much  to  be  done.  I  know 
you  will  not  break  down,  however  hard  the  struggle.  I 


RE -UNION.  163 

trust  I  shall  not  until  we  come  '  out  of  the  shadow  into 
the  sun.' 

"  By  Thursday,"  continued  Camp  in  his  home-narra- 
tive, "I  had  begun  to  settle  down  somewhat  more  into  my 
position.  I  contrived  to  find  occupation  for  most  of  my 
time ;  and  made  up  my  mind  that,  if  Henry  and  I  were 
only  here  together,  we  could  not  merely  endure,  but  enjoy, 
the  life.  I  thought  it  all  over  :  it  was  utterly  impossible 
that  his  services  at  the  hospital  would  be  dispensed  with 
until  all  the  wounded  were  dead  or  convalescent.  That 
would  be  months,  and  the  trial  would  be  more  than  he 
could  endure  :  how  doubtful  the  prospect  of  our  ever 
meeting  again  !  That  doubt,  and  nothing  else,  made  the 
future  too  dark  to  bear  anticipation.  Friday  morning, 
about  ten  o'clock,  the  door  opened,  and  he  came  iu.  Oh, 
what  a  meeting  for  us  that  was  !  I  sha'n't  try  to  tell  you 
any  thing  about  it.  The  day  was  gone  before  we  knew  it, 
and  all  that  have  followed  have  flown  like  it.  Imprison- 
ment is  not  tedious  with  him  for  a  companion.  I  lean 
upon  him  as  everywhere,  and  he  so  much  more  than 
doubles  my  strength  !  We  read  together,  write  together, 
whittle  together,  talk  together,  do  every  thing  together. 
The  value  of  our  friendship  could  hardly  appear  elsewhere 
as  it  does  here ;  nowhere  else  could  we  be  so  thoroughly 
inseparable  or  so  greatly  dependent  upon  one  another. 

"  Our  life  is  so  different  from  that  of  those  around  us ! 
The  ennui  which  oppresses  them  we  know  nothing  about : 


164  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

so  far  from  it,  we  have  not  time  for  all  that  we  would  do  ; 
and  unfinished  work  accumulates  from  day  to  day.  The 
hardships  we  must  undergo  are  so  far  lightened,  that  we 
can  fairly  say  that  we  enjoy  prison-life.  It  won't  do,  here 
in  prison,  to  give  even  thought  free  scope, — not  that 
others  attempt  to  limit  it ;  but  we  ourselves,  for  our  own 
sakes,  must  do  so.  I  say  we  enjoy  prison-life  :  it  is  be- 
cause we  will  not  think.  If  we  allowed  ourselves  to 
imagine  what  we  are  losing  by  absence  from  our  regiment 
at  such  a  time  as  this,  —  the  time  and  occasion  to  which  we 
have  been  looking  forward  for  tedious  months  of  inactiv- 
ity,— the  prospect  of  which  has  kept  us  cheerful  and  hope- 
ful through  many  perplexities  and  disappointments  (and 
you  know  how  bitter  to  me  already  is  the  thought  of 
Roanoke,  Goldsborough,  Whitehall,  and  Kinston)  ;  if  we 
dwelt  upon  the  difficulty,  perhaps  impossibility,  of  com- 
municating with  you ;  our  anxiety  in  regard  to  your  health 
and  welfare,  and  that  which  we  know  you  must  be  feeling 
for  us  ;  the  loss  we  are  sustaining  in  property,  which  none 
in  the  regiment  can  attend  to  as  is  needful ;  the  doubtful 
prospect  of  release  in  the  unfortunate  condition  of  affairs 
between  our  own  authorities  and  the  Confederate,  in  re- 
gard to  prisoners-of-war ;  the  possibility  of  months  or 
even  years  of  close  confinement,  —  if  we  brooded  over  all 
these,  and  the  multitude  of  other  subjects  for  sad  thought, 
we  should  drive  ourselves  crazy  in  twenty-four  hours.  It 
took  us  some  little  time  to  learn  this  ;  but  now  we  under- 


PRISON  LIFE.  165 

stand  it,  and  manage  to  busy  our  thoughts  in  great  meas- 
ure with  the  trivial  matters  of  every-day  life  in  prison. 
What  is  the  quality  of  the  corn-bread  this  morning  ?  who 
shall  go  after  the  pail  of  water?  bow  long  the  sergeant 
will  allow  us  to  stay  in  the  yard  for  air  and  exercise  ?  — 
these,  are  the  questions  to  which  we  give  our  attention. 
When  the  mind  craves  more  than  this,  we  sit  down  to 
write  or  talk  on  miscellaneous  subjects.  Nine  or  ten 
hours  for  sleep,  and  so  we  live." 

Henry  Camp  was  a  man  of  mark  in  prison  as  elsewhere. 
The  most  haughty  Southern  officer  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact  recognized  his  true  nobility,  and  gave  him  defer- 
ence ;  while  the  more  brutal  of  his  guards  were  softened 
into  respectful  treatment  of  him  by  the  irresistible  power 
of  his  commanding  presence.  His  fellow-prisoners  respect- 
ed and  esteemed  him.  The  treasures  of  his  stored  and 
well-trained  intellect  were  much  in  demand.  In  the  lack 
of  books  during  the  early  prison  months,  frequent  questions 
of  dispute  arose  as  to  points  of  fact,  principles  of  science, 
or  subjects  of  general  reading ;  and  he  was  rarely  referred 
to  in  vain  for  authority  as  to  the  truth.  German  officers 
were  there;  and,  when  their  language  was  undertaken  as  a 
study,  they  were  surprised  at  his  knowledge  of  its  structure 
and  the  rules  governing  its  use,  especially  as  he  disavowed 
any  claim  to  be  called  a  German  scholar.  He  played  chess, 
and,  although  pitted  against  some  skillful  antagonists, 
proved  himself  more  thoroughly  the  master  of  the  game 


166  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

than  any  of  his  opponents ;  being  often  successful,  single- 
handed,  against  several  of  the  best  players  in  consultation. 

His  intimacy  with  the  chaplain  was  closer,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, more  noticeable,  in  prison  than  elsewhere.  Outside, 
the  two  had  been  called  the  "twins."  In  confinement, 
the  old  negro  woman  who  daily  brought  in  rations  spoke 
of  them  uniformly  as  "  de  mates;"  and  they  were  thence- 
forward thus  designated  by  their  companions.  The  guards 
spoke  to  others  by  name,  but  to  these  as,  "  you  two ;  " 
always  allowing  them  liberty  together,  as  if  they  had  but 
one  existence.  The  chaplain  was  permitted  to  go  out  on  the 
sabbath  into  the  yard,  or  up-stairs,  to  preach  to  the  Union 
privates.  The  officers,  except  Adjutant  Camp,  were  not  at 
first  allowed  to  attend  these  services.  "  You  two  can  go,  no- . 
body  else,"  was  the  usual  announcement.  The  friends 
were  rarely  an  arm's-length  from  each  other  in  all  their 
months  of  confinement  together.  And  while  for  weary 
weeks  the  chaplain  was  low  with  jail-fever,  as  also  when 
he  was  disheartened  and  depressed  with  long  confinement, 
he  owed,  under  God,  his  life  and  renewed  strength  to  the 
gentle  and  faithful  ministry,  and  the  inspiring  words  and 
brave  example,  of  his  peerless  friend. 

But  few  Union  officers  have  been  confined  in  Columbia 
Jail.  Not  more  than  about  thirty  were  together  there  at 
any  time  during  the  stay  of  the  two  friends.  At  first, 
there  were  only  those  captured  in  the  two  assaults  on 
Wagner.  Then  Captain,  now  Lieutenant-Colonel  Payne, 


PRISON   LIFE.  167 

of  the  100th  New- York  State  Volunteers,  was  brought 
in  from  the  hospital ;  being  wounded  and  taken  in  one 
of  his  daring  scouts  up  Charleston  Harbor.  Then  came 
the  naval  officers  of  the  unsuccessful  assaulting  party 
against  Sumter,  including  Lieutenants  S.  W.  Preston 
and  B.  H.  Porter,  who  lost  their  lives  at  Fort  Fisher 
so  soon  after  their  release.  Chaplain  Fowler,  of  Colonel 
Higginson's  First  South  -  Carolina  Regiment,  was  the 
next  new-comer.  Few  besides  these  have  been  there 
within  the  past  two  years.  The  extensive  prison-pens 
outside  the  city  were  of  later  origin.  The  enlisted  men 
taken  at  Wagner,  and  the  sailors  and  marines  taken  at 
Sumter,  remained  but  a  short  time  at  Columbia  before 
being  forwarded  to  Belle  Island  to  starve  and  freeze. 

The  rations  furnished  the  officers  were,  at  first,  cooked 
by  colored  women,  coming  in  from  outside  by  permission 
of  the  guard ;  then,  as  money  grew  scarce,  the  officers 
cooked  for  themselves,  taking  turns  in  the  kitchen  a  week 
at  a  time.  United-States  treasury-notes  were  easily  ex- 
changed for  Confederate  currency,  at  the  rate  of  one  to 
four  or  five,  notwithstanding  the  rigid  orders  against  such 
barter.  Newspapers  were  contraband  for  several  months ; 
but  they  could  usually  be  obtained,  in  spite  of  official 
commands  to  the  contrary.  Finally,  permission  was 
granted  for  their  daily  purchase. 

For  awhile,  there  was  a  prospect  of  exchanges  being  re- 
sumed ;  but,  as  the  chances  of  that  diminished,  plans  of 


168  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

escape  were  talked  over.  Camp  chafed  under  a  sense  of 
confinement,  and  in  view  of  his  loss  of  active  service.  "  I 
have  put  to  you,"  he  wrote  home,  "that  side  of  prison- 
life  which  is  least  dark ;  but  bow  gladly  would  I  exchange 
for  this  any  imaginable  privation  or  suffering  in  freedom  ! 
My  experience  in  or  out  of  the  army  has  never  as  yet 
furnished  any  thing  resembling  it.  God  grant  it  never 
again  may  if  the  end  of  this  finds  me  still  living !  Not 
that  I  am  especially  blue  just  now  :  far  more  cheerful  than 
a  great  part  of  the  time  hitherto.  I  fully  realize  how 
much  worse  off  I  might  and  may  be ;  but  this  is  captivity, 
—  a  word  whose  meaning  I  have  but  lately  learned.  .  .  . 
Just  now,  it  is  not  so  much  the  mere  fact  of  confinement, 
as  the  knowledge  that  we  are  losing  opportunities  that  life 
can  never  replace.  A  day  of  freedom  and  activity  in 
times  like  these  is  worth  a  year  of  the  old  inaction  which 
used,  you  know,  so  to  discontent  me.  But  this  is  just  the 
one  thing  which  it  won't  do  for  me  to  think  or  write  of." 

He  determined  to  risk  every  thing  in  an  attempt  to 
rejoin  his  regiment.  The  chaplain's  sickness  at  first  inter- 
fered with  the  project :  then  the  announcement  that  the 
latter  was  to  be  released  induced  its  postponement  until 
he  should  pass  the  lines,  and  send  back  certain  desired  in- 
formation. 

Early  in  November,  the  two  friends  were  separated  by 
the  removal  of  the  chaplain  to  Richmond  for  release.  The 
parting  was  a  sad  one  to  both,  —  scarcely  less  so  to  the 


HOME    THOUGHTS.  169 

one  who  was  to  regain  liberty  by  the  change  than  to  the 
other  who  was  to  remain  a  prisoner.  The  hours  would 
have  dragged  even  yet  more  wearily  to  the  chaplain  but 
for  his  hope  to  secure,  by  untiring  endeavor,  his  friend's 
release  on  special  parole. 

On  the  sabbath  evening  before  Thanksgiving,  Camp 
wrote  in  his  one -page  home -letter:  "Sabbath  hours 
drag  even  more  slowly  than  those  of  the  other  days  of  the 
week.  To-day  has  been  long  :  it  is  almost  bed-time  now. 
We  had  singing  earlier  in  the  evening,  —  old  familiar 
hymns  and  tunes ;  and  I  wondered  if  you  were  not 
singing  at  the  same  time,  as  we  used  to,  gathered  around  the 
piano  in  the  east  room.  You  have  gas  there  now :  it 
wouldn't  look  quite  natural  to  me.  I  would  like  to  sit  in 
the  sofa-corner,  almost  in  the  dark,  and  hear  Nellie  and 
Kate  in  that  duet  I  always  liked  so  much,  —  '  Far  o'er 
the  wave  ; '  and  then  join,  all  of  us  together,  in  '  Lenox,' 
or  '  Coronation,'  or  some  of  those  stirring  old  Methodist 
melodies,  winding  up  with  '  Homeward  bound.'  Do 
you  remember  our  singing  '  When  shall  we  meet  again  ? ' 
the  last  sabbath  evening  that  I  was  at  home  ?  How  little 
we  imagined  then  that  Thanksgiving-week  of  this  year 
would  find  us  separated  by  any  such  cause  as  now !  Thank 
God  that  it  is  not  death,  which  would  have  seemed  so  much 
more  probable ;  and  that  we  may  yet  hope  another  Thanks- 
giving will  find  us  together  in  an  unbroken  circle !  "  [That 
next  Thanksgiving  he  passed  in  heaven.] 


170  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

While  the  chaplain  was  laboring  for  his  friend's  release, 
the  latter  was  perfecting  his  plans  of  escape ;  and,  in  a 
little  more  than  a  month  after  the  separation  of  the  two, 
he  left  the  jail  with  a  comrade  :  but,  after  a  week  in  the 
woods,  both  were  recaptured,  and  remanded  to  their  former 
quarters.  From  Camp's  full  record  of  that  exciting  ad- 
venture, written  out  in  the  leisure  of  later  days  in  jail,  the 
following  extracts  are  made  :  — 

"  The  possibility  of  escape  was  a  subject  of  thought  and 
conversation  among  us  quite  early  in  our  imprisonment. 
After  Henry's  departure,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  try  the 
experiment  as  soon  as  matters  seemed  ripe  for  it.  The 
reports  of  exchange  just  at  hand,  which  coaxed  us  into 
hope  from  week  to  week,  for  four  months,  no  longer  tan- 
talized us.  I  was  exceedingly  restless  and  impatient. 
There  was  scarcely  a  day  of  which  I  did  not  spend  more 
than  one  hour  in  thinking  of  the  possibilities  and  proba- 
bilities of  the  attempt ;  and  many  a  night  did  my  bed- 
fellow and  I  lie  awake  after  others  had  gone  to  sleep,  and 
discuss  the  merits  of  various  plans.  I  used  to  pace  our 
empty  frontrroom,  and  think  of  the  sluggish  wretchedness 
of  our  life  here,  and  the  joy  of  freedom  gained  by  our  own 
efforts,  — the  same  round  of  thought  over  and  over  again, 
—  until  I  was  half  wild  with  the  sense  of  restraint  and  of 
suffocation. 

"  Our  plan,  as  finally  agreed  upon,  was  simple.  Twice 
during  the  day  we  were  allowed  half  an  hour  in  the  yard 


PLAN   FOR   ESCAPE.  171 

for  exercise;  being  counted  when  we  came  in,  or  soon  after, 
to  assure  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  that  we  were  all  present. 
In  this  yard  was  a  small  brick  building*  consisting  of 
two  rooms  used  as  kitchens,  — one  by  ourselves,  the  other 
by  the  naval  officers.  The  latter  of  these  had  a  window 
opening  into  a  woodshed  ;  from  which,  part  of  the  side  being 
torn  away,  there  was  access  to  a  narrow  space  between 
another  small  building  and  the  jail-fence.  Our  intention 
was  to  enter  this  kitchen  during  our  half-hour  of  liberty, 
as  we  were  frequently  in  the  habit  of  doing ;  to  talk  with 
those  who  were  on  duty  for  the  day ;  remain  there  after 
the  cooks  had  gone  in,  leaving  lay-figures  to  be  counted 
in  our  stead  by  the  sergeant ;  thence  through  the  woodshed, 
and,  by  removing  a  board  of  the  high  fence  already  loosened 
for  the  purpose,  into  the  adjoining  premises,  from  which 
we  could  easily  gain  the  street.  The  latter  part  of  the 
movement  —  all  of  it,  indeed,  except  the  entrance  into  the 
kitchen,  where  we  were  to  remain  quiet  for  several  hours 
—  was  to  be  executed  after  dark. 

' '  The  street  once  gained,  my  comrade  and  I  intended 
to  take  the  railroad  running  northward  along  the  banks 
of  the  Broad  River,  follow  it  during  the  first  night,  while 
our  escape  was  still  undiscovered,  then  strike  as  direct  a 
course  as  possible  for  the  North-Carolina  line.  Through 
the  latter  State,  we  hoped  to  make  our  way  westward 

*  Shown  in  the  engraving  on  the  opposite  page. 


172  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

across  the  mountains,  where  we  should  find  frienUs  as  well 
as  enemies,  ultimately  reaching  Burnside's  lines  in  East 
Tennessee.  The  distance  to  be  passed  over  we  estimated 
at  about  three  hundred  miles ;  the  time  which  it  would 
occupy,  at  from  twenty  to  thirty  days.  The  difficulties  in 
our  way  were  very  great,  the  chances  for  and  against  us 
we  considered  certainly  no  better  than  equal.  What  would 
be  the  results  of  failure  we  could  not  anticipate  :  loss  of 
life  certainly  was  not  the  least  likely  of  them. 

"  Our  preparations  for  such  a  trip  were,  of  necessity, 
few.  We  manufactured  a  couple  of  stout  cloth  haversacks, 
in  which,  though  hardly  as  large  as  the  army  pattern,  we 
were  to  carry  ten  days'  provision, — each  of  us  two  dozen 
hard-boiled  eggs,  and  about  six  quarts  of  what  we  found 
described  in  '  Marcy's  Prairie  Traveler '  as  the  most 
nutritious  and  portable  of  all  food,  —  corn  parched  and 
ground, — just  what  we  children  used  to  call  '  rokeeg.' 
Besides  a  rubber-blanket  to  each,  we  concluded,  for  the 
sake  of  light  traveling,  to  carry  but  a  single  woolen  one. 
This,  with  one  or  two  other  articles  of  some  bulk,  we  placed 
in  a  wash-tub  and  covered  with  soiled  clothes,  in  order  to 
convey  them,  without  exciting  suspicion,  to  the  kitchen. 
My  baggage  for  the  journey,  besides  what  has  already  been 
referred  to,  consisted  of  an  extra  pair  of  cotton  socks, 
a  comb,  toothbrush,  and  piece  of  soap,  needle  and  thread, 
a  piece  of  stout  cloth,  a  flask  about  one-third  full  of  excel- 


PLAN   FOR    ESCAPE. 

lent  brandy,  a  piece  of  lard,  a  paper  of  salt,  pencil  and 
paper,  and  my  home-photographs. 

"  Two  dummies  (or  lay-figures)  were  to  be  made.  The 
first  was  a  mere  pile  of  blankets ;  but  its  position  in  the 
second  story  of  our  double-tier  bedstead  protected  it  from 
close  observation.  For  the  second,  I  borrowed  a  pair  of 
pants,  and  for  one  foot  found  a  cast-off  shoe.  The  upper 
part  of  the  figures  was  covered  with  a  blanket ;  and  the 
face,  with  a  silk  handkerchief:  attitude  was  carefully 
attended  to.  I  flattered  myself  that  the  man  was  enough 
of  a  man  for  pretty  sharp  eyes,  and  was  satisfied  when 
Lieutenant  B.  came  in,  and  unsuspectingly  addressed  him 
by  the  name  of  the  officer  whose  pants  he  wore.  .  .  . 

"  After  the  last  thing  was  done  which  could  be  done  in 
the  way  of  preparation,  time  passed  very  slowly.  I  was 
impatiently  nervous,  and  spant  the  hours  in  pacing  the 
rooms  and  watching  the  sluggish  clock-hands.  The  excite- 
ment of  anticipation  was  hardly  less  than  that  which  I  have 
felt  before  an  expected  fight.  The  personal  stake  at  issue 
was  little  different." 

Camp's  comrade  in  this  move  was  Captain  V.  B.  Cham- 
berlain, of  the  7th  Connecticut  Volunteers.  "  Well- 
informed  (an  ex -editor),  plucky,  and  of  excellent 
physique,  well  calculated  to  endure  hardship,  and  a  good 
swimmer.  He  was  that  day  on  duty  in  the  kitchen.  At 
four,  P.M.,  we  went  out  as  usual  for  exercise.  Entering 


174  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  kitchen  a  few  minutes  before  our  half-hour  had  expired, 
I  concealed  myself  in  a  snug  corner,  before  which  one  or 
two  towels,  a  huge  tin  boiler,  and  other  convenient  articles, 
were  so  disposed  as  to  render  the  shelter  complete  should 
so  unusual  an  event  occur  as  a  visit  from  the  guard  after 
that  hour.  Here,  like  another  Ivanhoe  in  the  beleagurcd 
castle,  I  received  a  running  report  of  the  course  of  events 
outside  from  the  culinary  gentlemen,  who  had,  in  their 
present  costume  and  occupation,  about  as  little  resemblance 
to  United-States  officers  as  to  the  fair  Jewess  of  the 
story. 

"  It  was  but  a  few  minutes  before  the  corporal,  acting 
for  the  day  as  sergeant,  was  seen  to  enter  the  room  to 
which  all  but  the  cooks  and  myself  had  returned.  It  was 
Corporal  Addison,  alias  '  Bull-Head,'  —  a  lubberly  English 
clodhopper,  looking  just  like  the  men  in  the  illustrations 
to  Miss  Hannah  More's  stories.  Our  confidence  that  all 
would  go  well  was  based  in  great  measure  upon  his  stupidity ; 
and  it  was  with  greatly  increased  apprehensions  that  I  heard 
that  he  was  accompanied  to-night  by  Captain  Senn. 

"  Rather  than  pass  the  ordeal  of  a  visit  from  him,  had 
we  anticipated  it,  we  should  probably  have  deferred  our 
attempt  another  day,  even  at  the  risk  of  losing  our  chance 
altogether.  He  opened  the  door  and  went  in.  I  waited 
anxiously  to  hear  what  would  follow.  He  seemed  to  stay 
longer  than  usual.  Was  there  anything  wrong?  Suspense 
lengthened  the  minutes ;  but  it  was  of  no  use  to  question 


WAITING.  175 

those  who  could  see,  while  the  door  remained  closed, 
no  more  than  myself.  Presently  I  was  told  that  the  door 
was  opan ;  he  was  coming  out ;  there  sceruod  to  be  no 
alarm ;  he  was  stepping  briskly  toward  the  yard.  We 
breathed  more  freely.  A  moment  more,  and  he  was  going 
back,  evidently  dissatisfied  with  something.  He  re-entered 
the  room.  'It's  all  up,'  said  my  reporter.  I  thought 
myself  that  there  was  little  doubt  of  it,  and  prepared,  the 
moment  any  sign  of  alarm  appeared,  to  come  from  ray 
retreat,  which  I  preferred  to  leave  voluntarily  rather  than 
with  the  assistance  of  a  file  of  men.  Too  bad  to  be  caught 
at  the  very  outset,  without  so  much  as  a  whiff  of  the  air 
of  freedom  to  compensate  us  for  the  results  of  detection  ! 
But  no  :  Captain  Senn  comes  quietly  out,  walks  leisurely 
through  the  hall ;  and  his  pipe  is  lit. — best  evidence  in  the 
world  that  all  is  tranquil,  his  mind  undisturbed  by  any 
thing  startling  or  unexpected. 

"But  it  was  too  soon  to  exult:  congratulations  were 
cut  short  by  sudden  silence  on  the  part  of  my  friends. 
I  listened :  it  was  broken  by  a  step  on  the  threshold,  and 
the  voice  of  the  captain  close  beside  me.  I  didn't  hold 
my  breath  according  to  the  established  precedent  in  all 
such  cases ;  but  I  sat  for  a  little  while  as  still  as  I  did  the 
first  time  that  ever  my  daguerreotype  was  taken ;  then, 
cautiously  moving  my  head,  I  caught  a  view  of  the  visitor 
as  he  stood  hardly  more  than  at  arm's-length  from  me. 
He  was  merely  on  a  tour  of  inspection ;  asked  a  few 


176  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

unimportant  questions  of  the  cooks,  and,  after  a  brief  call, 
took  his  leave.  It  was  with  more  than  mere  physical 
relief  that  I  stretched  myself,  and  took  a  new  position  in 
my  somewhat  cramped  quarters.  Immediate  danger  was 
over:  we  had  nothing  more  to  fear  until  the  cooks  went  in. 
We  listened  anxiously,  until  it  seemed  certain  that  all 
danger  from  another  visit  and  the  discovery  of  Captain 
Chamberlain's  absence  was  over ;  then  sat  down  to  wait 
for  a  later  hour.  .  .  . 

"  After  perhaps  an  hour  of  quiet,  we  set  about  what 
little  was  to  be  dene  before  we  were  ready  to  leave  the 
building,  —  the  rolling  of  our  blankets,  not  yet  taken  from 
the  tub  in  which  they  had  been  brought  out,  the  filling  of 
our  haversacks,  &c.  To  do  this  in  perfect  silence  was  no 
easy  task.  Any  noise  made  was  easily  audible  outside  : 
the  window  looking  toward  the  jail  had  no  sash,  and  the 
blinds  which  closed  it  failed  to  meet  in  the  center.  A  sentry 
stood  not  far  distant.  More  than  once,  startled  by  the 
loud  rattling  of  the  paper  which  we  were  unwrapping  from 
our  provisions,  or  the  clatter  of  some  dish  inadvertently 
touched  in  the  darkness,  we  paused,  and  anxiously  peeped 
through  the  blinds  to  sec  if  the  sentry  had  noticed  it. 
The  possibility  of  any  one's  being  in  the  kitchen  at  that 
hour  was  probably  the  last  thought  to  enter  his  mind. 
Many  times  we  carefully  felt  our  way  around  the  room,  — 
stocking-foot  and  tip-toe,  —  searching  for  some  article  laid 
down  perhaps  but  a  moment  before,  lost,  without  the  aid 


THE   ESCAPE.  177 

of  eyesight  to  recover  it,  until  at  length  we  thought  our- 
selves ready  to  pass  iuto  the  adjoining  room,  whose  window 
opened  upon  the  woodshed. 

"  The  only  communication  between  these  rooms  was  by 
a  small  hole  broken  through  the  chimney-back,  scarcely 
large  enough  to  admit  the  body,  and  with  the  passage 
further  embarrassed  by  the  stoves  on  either  side,  so  placed 
that  it  was  necessary  to  lie  down,  and  move  serpent-wise 
for  a  considerable  distance.  Captain  Chamberlain  made  the 
first  attempt,  and  discovered  that  the  door  of  the  stove  on 
the  opposite  side  had  been  left  open,  and  wedged  in  that 
position  by  the  wood,  crowded  in  for  the  morning's  fire ;  so 
that  the  passage  was  effectually  obstructed.  The  hole  had 
to  be  enlarged  by  the  tearing-away  of  more  bricks,  which, 
as  fast  as  removed,  he  handed  to  me  to  be  laid  on  one  side. 
Patient  labor  at  length  made  a  sufficient  opening,  and  ho 
passed  through.  I  handed  to  him  the  blankets,  haversacks, 
and  shoes,  and  with  some  difficulty  followed." 

The  woodshed  gained,  the  loosened  board  was  removed 
from  the  fence,  and  replaced  after  they  had  passed  through. 
Across  a  kitchen-garden  they  hurried  to  •  the  open  street 
beyond,  and  then,  without  meeting  any  person,  through 
Columbia  to  the  railroad. 

"Reaching  the  iron  track,  we  turned  northward,  and  were 
speedily  out  of  sight  of  houses,  fairly  started  upon  our 
journey  through  the  country.  I  wish  I  could  describe  the 

sensation  of  pleasure  that  thrilled  through  every  fiber  of 

12 


178  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

our  frames  with  an  exhilaration  like  that  of  wine  !  After 
five  months  of  confinement,  of  constant  and  unavailing 
chafing  under  the  galling  consciousness  of  restraint  and  of 
helplessness,  we  could  hardly  realize  that  we  were  free ; 
that  we  should  not  wake  in  the  morning  to  find  ourselves 
within  the  narrow  jail-limits,  under  the  eyes  and  the  orders 
of  our  old  sentries.  To  be  again  the  masters  of  our  own 
acts  was  like  being  endowed  with  a  new  faculty.  We 
breathed  deep  and  long.  We  could  have  shouted  with  the 
excitement  of  each  free  step  upon  solid  earth,  each  draught 
of  free  air  under  the  open  sky.  That  first  hour  of  liberty 
would  alone  have  paid  for  all  the  hardships  we  were  to  en- 
counter. I  shall  have  pleasant  memory  of  it  as  long  as  I 
live.  Our  path  led  us  along  the  banks  of  Broad  River, 
the  dash  of  whose  waters  was  constantly  in  our  ears,  and 
whose  swift  current  we  could  often  see  in  the  clear  star- 
light, rushing  down  in  rapids,  or  foaming  around  huge 
rocks.  Such  sights  and  sounds  we  had  not  known  since 
we  left  our  New-England  homes ;  and  we  enjoyed  to  the 
full,  not  only  these,  but  each  bush  that  we  passed,  each 
little  stream  that  flowed  across  the  way,  each  thicket  of 
dark  undergrowth,  or  hillside  covered  with  forest,  that  lift- 
ed itself  beyond ;  all  was  fresh  to  us. 

"  It  was  a  cold  night,  just  the  temperature,  however,  for 
walking ;  and  upon  a  good  path  we  should  have  made  rapid 
progress.  But  the  ties  were  laid  upon  the  surface  of  the 
ground ,  instead  of  being  sunk,  and  were  at  the  most  incon- 


THE   ESCAPE.  179 

venient  distance  possible  from  one  another.  This  was  not 
the  worst.  Before  we  had  gone  two  miles,  we  came  to 
what  seemed  to  be  a  stream  of  some  size,  crossed  by  a  tres- 
tle-work bridge.  We  must  pass  it  by  stepping  from  tie 
to  tie.  It  was  difficult  to  see  in  the  darkness  how  far 
beneath  us  the  water  flowed,  but  it  was  evidently  at  no  in- 
considerable depth  ;  and  the  light  was  none  too  strong  to 
enable  us  to  plant  our  footsteps  with  a  feeling  of  security. 
We  supposed,  however,  that  a  short  distance  would  place 
us  again  upon  solid  ground,  and  pushed  on  slowly  and  care- 
fully. We  were  disappointed.  Beyond  the  current  of  the 
stream  was  a  wide  marsh,  stretching  as  far  as  we  could 
see ;  and  across  this  lay  our  road  :  it  was  many  minutes  of 
tedious  traveling  before  we  again  reached  firm  footing. 
While  we  were  congratulating  ourselves  that  our  trouble 
was  over,  we  were  cut  short  by  a  second  bridge,  of  similar 
structure,  but  higher,  if  any  thing,  than  the  first,  and  cer- 
tainly longer.  Beneath  us,  we  could  scarcely  see  any  thing 
save  a  black  gulf,  —  before  us  the  track  vanishing  at  a  few 
rods'  distance  into  darkness.  To  add  to  the  difficulty,  many 
of  the  ties  were  rotten  to  such  a  degree  that  we  dared  not 
trust  our  weight  upon  the  center  of  them,  many  displaced 
so  that  it  was  not  easy  to  pass  the  chasm  created  by  their 
absence. 

"  We  walked  on  and  on,  expecting  every  minute  to  see 
the  end  ;  but  no  end  came  in  sight :  the  distance  seemed  in- 
terminable. I  might  overstate  if  I  should  attempt  to  esti- 


180  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

mate  accurately  the  length  and  number  of  these  bridges 
over  which  we  passed  during  the  night,  the  nervousness  of 
the  task  being  increased  toward  morning  by  a  heavy  white- 
frost,  which  made  the  footing  still  more  uncertain  ;  but  I 
am  sure  that  I  am  within  bounds  in  reckoning  them  by 
miles.  ...  As  morning  drew  near,  we  were,  of  course, 
far  more  fatigued  than  by  any  ordinary  eight  hours  of  walk- 
ing ;  and  had  made  much  less  progress  than  we  hoped  to 
make  before  daylight  should  render  it  necessary  to  take 
shelter  in  the  woods.  We  were  both  thoroughly  exhaust- 
ed with  long-unaccustomed  exercise,  and  could  scarcely 
walk  without  staggering.  We  looked  at,  one  another,  and 
were  astonished  at  the  haggard  faces  and  weary  forms 
which  we  saw." 

After  some  difficulty  in  finding  a  sufficiently  secluded 
place  for  a  rest,  they  at  length  reached  a  spot  which  seemed 
to  answer  their  purpose. 

"  The  roots  of  an  uptorn  tree  upon  one  side,  the  trunk 
of  a  fallen  one  upon  another,  with  a  sheltering  hillock  and 
surrounding  undergrowth,  furnished  us  with  such  protec- 
tion, that  a  passer-by,  even  within  a  few  paces,  would  not 
have  been  likely  to  see  us.  We  were  too  tired  to  eat.  We 
spread  a  rubber-blanket  upon  the  ground,  a  woolen  one 
over  us,  and,  with  our  haversacks  for  pillows,  were  speed- 
ily sleeping  as  we  had  not  done  before  since  we  left  Morris 
Island,  and  exchanged  a  life  of  hard  work  for  a  harder  one 
of  inaction.  How  long  we  had  slept  when  I  awoke  I 


THE   ESCAPE.  181 

could  not  tell ;  but  I  was  too  thoroughly  chilled  to  rest 
longer.  I  listened  before  I  raised  my  head,  lest  there 
might  be  some  one  near.  What  was  that  crackling  of  the 
dry  leaves  at  a  little  distance  ?  I  closed  ray  eyes  again 
and  lay  still.  Surely  those  were  cautious  footsteps  that 
seemed  to  draw  near  and  halt,  and  then  retreat  again. 
Then  all  was  quiet.  I  woke  Captain  Chamberlain,  telling 
him  I  feared  we  were  discovered,  and  perhaps  at  that  mo- 
ment watched.  Even  if  we  were,  however,  it  was  of  no  use 
to  wait ;  and  we  rose.  No  one  in  sight.  We  searched  the 
bushes  in  the  direction  of  the  sound.  No  sign  of  any  one's 
having  been  there ;  and,  after  a  few  minutes,  we  convinced 
ourselves  that  it  was  a  false  alarm.  It  was  not  the  only 
one  which  we  raised  for  one  another  during  the  day,  ner- 
vously suspicious  as  we  were  of  every  cracking  bough, 
every  moving  object.  Once  Captain  Chamberlain  pointed 
out  to  me  a  soldier  in  gray  uniform  behind  some  bushes 
only  a  few  rods  distant,  evidently  watching  us.  But,  before 
I  could  make  him  out,  he  resolved  himself  into  his  harm- 
less components  of  tree-trunk  and  branch. 

"  We  rolled  our  blankets  in  convenient  form  to  sling 
across  the  shoulder,  and,  much  refreshed,  although  with 
joints  somewhat  stiff  and  lame,  started  again  northward, 
intending  to  halt  for  breakfast  as  soon  as  sunshine  and  ex- 
ercise should  warm  our  blood  a  little.  It  was  not  long 
before  circulation  was  brisk  again ;  and  a  sunny  hillside 
furnished  us  with  a  breakfast-room,  which,  to  say  the  least 


182  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  it,  compared  favorably  with  that  we  had  occupied  the 
morning  before.  Then  we  made  the  first  trial  of  our  pa- 
tent provisions.  The  eggs,  with  salt  for  seasoning,  were 
capital ;  but  our  stock  was  limited.  We  allowed  ourselves 
one  each, — the  bulk  of  our  meal  consisting  of  the  rokeeg. 
Palatable  enough  we  found  it,  albeit  somewhat  dry ;  and  it 
proved  exceedingly  nutritious.  A  day  or  two  later,  after 
it  had  been  dampened  and  dried  again,  partially  at  least, 
it  was  almost  entirely  tasteless,  and  had  no  more  relish  or 
even  food-flavor  than  so  much  sawdust.  We  could  only  tell 
when  we  had  eaten  enough  by  estimating  the  quantity 
which  had  vanished  or  the  time  consumed  in  the  operation. 
Still  it  supported  our  strength  as  hardly  any  thing  else  in 
the  same  quantity  could  have  done ;  and  we  were  ready  to 
indorse  Captain  Marcy's  recommendation  of  it. 

"  Rest  and  food  had  made  new  men  of  us :  we  pushed 
cheerily  along  through  wood,  over  hill,  and  across  field. 
The  traveling  was  neither  very  difficult,  nor  easy  enough 
to  admit  of  rapid  progress.  The  woods  were  quite  open, 
and  we  frequently  crossed  cultivated  land.  Houses  fre- 
quently interrupted  us  ;  and  much  time  was  consumed  in 
the  long  circuit  we  had  to  make  to  pass  them  without  dan- 
ger of  being  observed.  The  country  was  altogether  too 
thickly  settled  for  our  convenience.  About  two,  P.M.,  we 
found  ourselves  fairly  brought  to  a  stand-still, —  open  coun- 
try before  us  with  houses  in  sight,  and  no  way  of  getting 
through  under  cover. 


THE    ESCAPE.  183 

"  We  found  an  excellent  shelter,  well  protected,  although 
near  a  road ;  lay  down  behind  an  old  long-neglected 
wood-pile  and  slept  again,  woke,  dined,  and  waited  for 
dark.  As  soon  as  it  was  fairly  dusk,  we  started  once 
more  upon  our  course.  We  soon  reached  a  road,  upon 
which,  during  the  afternoon,  we  had  observed  a  rider  mov- 
ing along  at  some  distance,  —  the  first  man  we  had  seen 
since  leaving  jail.  We  hesitated  whether  to  follow  this 
route,  or  attempt  to  push  through  the  woods  in  the  dark. 
We  had  not  intended  to  venture  upon  the  roads  after  the 
first  night,  but  considering  the  chance  that  our  escape  was 
still  undiscovered,  and  the  difficulty  of  making  any  prog- 
ress otherwise,  we  concluded  to  run  the  risk,  exercising 
the  utmost  possible  caution  with  reference  to  avoiding  any 
whom  we  might  meet." 

Having  a  narrow  escape  from  detection  by  a  passing 
horseman,  they  pressed  on,  until,  across  a  curve  in  the  road, 
they  saw  the  lights  of  a  house,  and  their  quick  ears  caught 
the  sound  of  steps  and  voices  from  within  or  near  it. 

"  Approaching  this  place,  in  addition  to  the  voices  so 
distinctly  heard  through  the  quiet  night  air,  we  could  see 
near  it  the  bright  glare  of  a  fire  kindled  out  of  doors,  — 
perhaps  a  tar-kiln  or  a  coal-pit  blazing  up.  This  we  must 
avoid,  and  we  turned  aside  accordingly  into  the  woods.  It 
was  a  tedious  circuit  that  we  had  to  make  before  we  could 
leave  them  safely.  We  stumbled  over  rock  and  fallen 
tree,  in  the  darkness  of  the  dense  undergrowth ;  plunged 


184  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

into  brook  and  swamp ;  tore  our  way  through  wildernesses 
of  briers,  from  which  we  came  out  with  bleeding  hands  and 
tattered  clothing,  making  so  slow  and  so  difficult  progress, 
that  we  were  more  than  ever  disposed,  in  the  absence  of 
any  positive  evidence  of  danger,  to  keep  the  traveled  route 
whenever  it  was  possible." 

Thenceforward  they  followed  the  woods  by  day,  and  the 
road  by  night.  At  the  close  of  their  second  day's  journey, 
to  their  regret,  it  commenced  to  rain. 

"At  four,  P.M.,  the  first  drops  fell.  Darkness  came  on 
almost  immediately,  and  we  took  an  oblique  direction 
which  we  thought  would  bring  us  in  a  few  minutes  back 
to  the  road  which  we  had  crossed  shortly  before  dinner, 
and  parallel  to  which  we  had  been  traveling  for  several 
hours.  But  either  the  road  curved  sharply  from  us,  or 
we  had  wandered  further  from  it  than  wo  thought.  We 
reached  a  swamp,  which  certainly,  from  what  we  remem- 
bered of  the  conformation  of  the  land,  ought  not  to  lie  be- 
tween us  and  the  line  which  we  wished  to  strike.  There 
was  no  passage  but  to  wade  through.  Dense  thickets  ob- 
structed our  way ;  rain  and  darkness  made  each  ob- 
stacle more  serious ;  and  we  were  additionally  puzzled 
by  the  possibility  that  a  traveled  path  which  we  had 
crossed  some  time  before,  thinking  it  from  its  appearance  a 
by-way,  might  have  been  the  road  itself,  and  that  we  were 
now  only  plunging  ourselves  deeper  and  deeper  into  the 
woods.  Still  we  pushed  on,  unwilling  to  believe  ourselves 


FALSE  ALARMS.  185 

lost,  and  were  greatly  relieved,  after  a  tedious  and  discour- 
aging tramp,  in  coming  out  at  length  upon  what  was  unmis- 
takably the  track  for  which  we  had  been  so  long  searching. 
"  The  rain  had  not  yet  injured  the  walking,  and  we  made 
for  a  while  rapid  progress.  Just  after  descending  a  gentle 
hill,  while  crossing  a  stretch  of  low  ground,  we  heard  what 
seemed  to  be  the  rattle  of  a  cart  on  the  slope  behind  us, 
and  the  loud  and  distinct  voice  of  a  man  callin^  to  his 

o 

oxen.  We  made  all  haste  to  shelter  ourselves ;  and,  hav- 
ing done  so  by  lying  down  behind  some  logs  near  the 
roadside,  waited  for  the  passage  of  the  team.  All  was 
still :  not  a  sound  of  life  anywhere  to  be  heard.  We 
were  almost  ready  to  rise,  thinking,  in  spite  of  our  ears, 
that  we  must  have  been  mistaken ;  when  the  voice,  full 
and  clear,  came  once  more  down  the  road  apparently  close 
at  hand.  We  lay  quiet :  there  were  no  indications  of  its 
owner's  approach.  We  waited  patiently :  nothing  broke 
the  silence  of  the  night,  except  the  patter  of  the  rain,  and 
the  sighing  of  a  low  wind  which  accompanied  it.  Con- 
vinced, at  length,  that  it  was  useless  to  remain  longer  con- 
cealed, we  rose,  and  went  on  our  way.  It  would  be  hardly 
more  than  a  fair  exercise  of  the  privilege  belonging  to 
every  chronicler  of  his  own  travels,  to  give  to  this  South- 
ern Sleepy  Hollow  its  spectral  darkey  and  fractious  yoke 
of  goblin  two-year-olds,  which  it  deserves,  and  for  which 
the  time  and  circumstances  were  fitting.  I  certainly  know 
of  no  other  way  of  accounting  for  the  facts  just  set  forth. 


186  THE   KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

"The  roads  were  well  furnished  with  guide-posts;  but 
they  were  tall,  and  the  pitchy  darkness  of  the  night  made 
it  impossible  to  read  their  directions  from  the  ground. 
Half  a  dozen  of  these,  with  the  assistance  of  a  lift  from 
Captain  Chamberlain's  broad  shoulders,  I  climbed  during 
the  night,  —  awkward  business  enough,  with  their  sharp 
angles  and  smooth  wet  sides ;  but  the  information  they 
gave  us  was  invaluable." 

Two  or  three  times  in  the  course  of  the  evening  or 
night,  they  were  seen  by  passers  on  the  road,  without 
special  notice  being  taken  of  them.  After  more  than 
twenty  miles  of  travel  since  the  morning,  they  stopped  in 
the  rain  for  greatly  needed  rest. 

"At  the  division  of  two  plantations,  near  a  gateway,  we 
found  at  length  a  fence-angle,  where,  by  laying  across  it 
two  or  three  rails,  and  bending  down  a  couple  of  saplings, 
we  made  for  ourselves  a  seat,  and  a  support  upon  which 
we  could  rest  our  heads.  Wrapping  the  woolen  blanket 
about  us,  throwing  one  of  the  rubbers  across  our  shoul- 
ders, and  drawing  the  other  over  our  heads,  we  were  toler- 
ably protected  from  the  rain,  though  not  from  the  wind. 
In  this  way,  too,  we  could  keep  our  provisions  dry :  had 
we  attempted  to  lie  down,  ourselves  and  our  haversacks 
would  speedily  have  been  drenched  together. 

"  We  dropped  asleep,  in  spite  of  the  cold,  in  a  very  few 
minutes,  and  slept  soundly  for  some  time.  Waking  again 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  found  ourselves 


A  STORM.  187 

chilled  to  the  bone,  and  suffering  from  a  species  of  cramp 
that  made  it  impossible  for  us  to  remain  longer  in  the  posi- 
tion where  we  were.  There  was  no  prospect,  however,  of 
altering  our  situation  for  the  better  if  we  should  move, 
since  it  had  been  with  difficulty  that  we  had  found  even 
our  present  resting-place.  We  opened  our  haversacks, 
and  food  restored  the  blood  in  some  degree  to  its  circu- 
lation. With  this  relief  we  contented  ourselves  as  best  we 
could,  and  succeeded  in  falling  asleep  again.  When  we 
woke  once  more,  it  was  about  four  o'clock,  still  pitchy  dark, 
and  still  raining ;  but  we  determined  to  move  on,  —  any 
thing  rather  than  remain  where  we  were.  We  could  hardly 
rise  from  the  rails  on  which  we  were  sitting;  and,  when 
we  attempted  to  walk,  so  cramped  and  numb  was  every 
muscle,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  could  drag  one  foot 
after  the  other.  It  was  not  my  first  experience  of  bivou- 
acking under  a  winter's  storm.  Our  North-Carolina  cam- 
paigns were  in  cold  weather ;  and  some  of  the  nights  then 
spent  we  thought  at  the  time  sufficiently  hard :  but  none 
of  them  compared  with  this.  Exercise  suppled  our  joints 
somewhat ;  but  we  had  gained  very  little  of  strength  or 
rest  during  our  halt,  and  we  made  our  way  slowly  along 
the  road  through  mud  deeper  and  more  tenacious  than  it 
had  been  at  midnight.  After  a  mile  or  two  of  this,  we 
were  glad  to  find  another  resting-place,  —  a  fence-corner, 
much  like  that  we  had  left ;  and  here  we  rested  until  it 
begin  to  grow  light. 


188  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  Taking  the  path  again,  we  came  before  long  to  a 
large  barn-yard,  where  one  or  two  cows  stood  patiently 
waiting  for  the  morning  milking.  It  seemed  a  pity  that 
they  should  be  compelled  to  wait  longer  for  the  lazy  farmer 
whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  them.  The  natural  kind- 
ness of  our  dispositions  prompted  us  at  once  to  relieve 
them,  and  save  him  from  the  disagreeable  task,  which  he 
was  doubtless  postponing,  this  rainy  morning,  later  than 
usual.  With  these  benevolent  motives,  we  began  to  climb 
the  barn-yard  fence.  But  alas  for  our  hopes  of  warm 
milk  !  Just  at  that  moment  the  farmer  vindicated  his 
character  for  early  rising  by  coming  in  sight,  dimly  visible 
through  the  mist,  from  behind  a  neighboring  building.  We 
did  not  wait  to  explain  our  intentions,  or  to  apologize  for 
the  injustice  we  had  done  him,  but  executed  a  prompt 
movement  to  the  rear." 

Finding  a  comfortable  resting-place  on  a  vine-shaded 
offset,  half-way  down  the  steep  side  of  a  dense-wooded 
ravine,  above  a  small  brook,  they  stopped,  exhausted  after 
their  wearisome  night,  to  wait  until  the  storm  abated. 
They  built  a  fire,  warmed  their  chilled  limbs,  partially 
dried  their  blanket  and  clothing,  and  at  the  brook  washed 
their  mire-coated  stockings  and  shoes.  Just  before  night, 
the  storm,  which  had  slackened  during  the  day,  resumed 
its  force  ;  and  soon  the  rain  poured  in  such  torrents  as  to 
swell  the  brook  to  a  sudden  freshet.  Again  they  were 
drenched  to  the  skin,  and  their  haversack  of  provisions 


DELAYS.  189 

was  thoroughly  soaked.  Later,  the  violence  of  the  storm 
subsided  ;  and  they  laid  themselves  down  for  the  sleep 
which  they  must  have,  rain  or  no  rain.  They  slept  ten 
hours ;  and  woke  to  find  the  sun  shining  in  their  faces 
through  the  tree-tops,  and  a  clear  sky  overhead.  They 
"were  thoroughly  rested  and  in  good  condition  for  travel." 
The  storm  had  cost  them  just  one  day,  aside  from  the 
delay  growing  out  of  the  condition  of  the  roads  and 
streams. 

Pressing  on,  they  were  seen  by  two  negro-boys,  who 
were  apparently  afraid  of  them,  and  hurried  off.  In  the 
afternoon,  as  they  were  concealed  near  a  dwelling  they 
could  not  pass  until  night,  a  private  coach  was  driven  by, 
then  a  country  wagon ;  and,  later,  a  drover  with  cattle 
went  along  the  road  near  them. 

At  night  they  took  in  preference  a  by-road  toward 
Baton  Rouge,  to  avoid  the  larger  towns  on  the  main  route 
northward;  but  this  involved  the  dispensing  with  bridges 
across  streams.  One  stream  they  bridged  with  delay  and 
difficulty ;  a  second  was  not  to  be  crossed  in  this  way. 

"  In  vain  we  wearied  ourselves  tramping  up  and  down 
the  half-liquid  banks  above  and  below ;  it  ran  in  a  wide 
turbid  flood  which  it  was  useless  to  think  of  bridging. 
It  was  a  frosty  December  night ;  the  ground  was  begin- 
ning to  stiffen  with  the.  cold.  We  hesitated.  Had  there 
been  any  available  resting-place  near  by,  I  fear  we  should 
have  been  found  upon  the  wrong  side  of  the  stream  when 


190  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

morning  dawned ;  but  we  saw  none,  and  that  decided  us. 
Making  the  necessary  preparations,  with  much  shivering 
we  plunged  in.  After  all,  it  was  not  so  fearfully  cold,  nor 
was  the  water  deep,  save  in  a  couple  of  holes,  one  near 
either  bank.  More  than  one  trip  was  necessary  to  trans- 
port clothing,  blankets,  and  provisions ;  but  it  was  soon 
over,  and  glad  enough  we  were  that  we  had  not  postponed 
the  ugly  job  as  we  were  tempted  to.  We  were  pretty 
thoroughly  benumbed  ;  but  a  little  brandy  (the  only  time 
during  our  journey  we  had  occasion  to  use  it)  assisted  ex- 
ercise in  restoring  the  circulation,  and  in  half  an  hour  we 
were  as  warm  as  ever.  We  traveled  briskly  that  night, 
and  had  accomplished  a  good  distance  when  we  turned 
aside  into  the  pine-woods  on  the  left,  built  for  ourselves  a 
booth  of  pine  and  cedar  boughs,  quite  a  luxurious  lodging- 
place,  and  slept  till  morning." 

Passing  Baton  Rouge,  they  took  the  Pinckneyville 
Road,  and  later  turned  toward  Yorkville.  The  following 
night,  they  crossed  Turkey  Creek,  and  were  disposed  to 
attempt  the  passage  of  Broad  River  near  Pinckneyville, 
but,  becoming  confused  as  to  the  route  in  the  darkness, 
waited  until  morning.  The  weather  grew  colder,  and  they 
suffered  from  its  severity. 

"  Our  morning  wakenings  were  the  most  cheerless 
moments  of  a  day's  experience.  We  woke,  without  the 
rest  which  came  only  after  exercise  had  brought  us 
warmth,  numb  and  shivering;  so  that  we  could  hardly 


THE  RECAPTURE.  191 

roll  our  blankets  or  take  the  first  few  steps  upon  our 
journey.  There  was  not  a  night  during  our  trip  in  which 
we  did  not  suffer  from  cold.  This  morning  (sabbath)  was 
the  coldest  we  had  encountered." 

They  traveled  until  nearly  noon,  before  finding  just  the 
place  for  a  safe  rest.  Then  they  slept  several  hours. 
Resuming  their  journey  soon  after  dark  they  hoped  within 
forty-eight  hours  to  be  beyond  the  limits  of  South  Carolina, 
and  in  a  region  of  comparative  safety. 

"  We  had  been  walking  an  hour  or  two  along  an  unfre- 
quented road,  when  a  negro  rose  apparently  from  a  fence- 
corner,  and  followed  us  at  a  distance  of  a  few  paces.  We 
slackened  our  gait  to  allow  him  to  pass ;  but  he  preserved 
the  same  interval  whether  we  moved  fast  or  slow.  While 
we  were  still  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  these  proceed- 
ings, a  horseman  rode  up  in  front,  making  his  appearance 
so  suddenly,  that  even  in  the  absence  of  our  unwelcome 
attendant  we  should  hardly  have  had  time  to  conceal  our- 
selves. He  addressed  us  politely ;  and,  after  a  few  embar- 
rassing questions  which  indicated  his  suspicion  of  us,  he 
rode  off  at  a  gallop  in  the  direction  whence  he  had  come. 
We  looked  at  one  another  in  dismay.  That  he  suspected 
us  and  would  soon  return  we  had  no  doubt ;  but  there 
were  no  woods  at  hand ;  and,  if  there  had  been,  it  would 
have  been  useless  to  enter  them  while  dogged  by  our  per- 
severing follower.  We  were  now  opposite  a  graveyard 
of  some  size ;  and  it  was  evident  from  surrounding  indica- 


192  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

tions  that  we  had  come  directly  upon  a  village  whoso 
existence  we  had  not  suspected. 

"  We  had  little  time  to  consider  :  the  sound  of  clattering 
hoofs  came  down  the  road  behind  us,  and  our  former  friend 
rode  up  with  two  companions.  A  few  more  questions 
were  asked,  a  footman  coming  up  meantime  to  join  the 
party;  and  the  horsemen  rode  on,  leaving  their  companion 
to  walk  behind  us.  We  knew  that  our  journey  was  at  an 
end.  They  were  waiting  for  us  at  the  gate  of  a  house  a 
few  hundred  yards  beyond ;  reaching  which,  \vc  were  politely 
invited  to  walk  in  and  exhibit  our  papers,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  they  had  authority  for  the  request  they  made. 
'  Did  we  know  any  thing  of  some  Yankee  officers  who  had 
recently  escaped  from  Columbia?'  We  told  them  they 
need  trouble  themselves  no  further  :  we  were  the  men  for 
whom  they  were  looking." 

The  recaptured  officers  were  taken  into  the  house,  and 
given  seats  before  the  fire.  They  found  that  hounds  were 
out  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  that  the  roads  in  every  direc- 
tion beyond  were  closely  watched  and  guarded. 

"  The  report  of  the  capture  of.  Yankee  officers  spread 
like  wildfire,  and  men  gathered  in  for  a  look  at  the  strange 
sight,  until  the  room  was  nearly  filled.  It  was  amusing  to 
see  the  cuiiosity  manifested,  and  we  felt  specially  compli- 
mented by  a  remark  of  Mr.  McNeil's  little  girl,  who  had 
evidently  been  on  the  lookout  for  horns  and  hoofs. 
Finding  us  apparently  harmless,  she  ventured  timidly  to 


PRISONERS.  193 

the  other  side  of  the  fireplace,  and  finally,  after  some 
coaxing,  came  across  and  stood  shyly  by  my  side,  while 
I  told  her  of  my  little  sister  at  home,  and  astonished  her 
with  a  small  coin,  the  only  specie,  I  will  venture  to  say, 
that  had  been  seen  for  a  long  time  in  that  part  of  the 
Confederacy.  She  talked,  like  most  Southern  children, 
an  unmitigated  negro  dialect.  '  What  sort  of  men  did  you 
think  Yankees  were  ? '  asked  I.  '  I  didn't  tink,'  said  she, 
'  dcy  was  dat  good-lookin' ! ' 

"  The  conversation  turned  upon  politics ;  and  the  whole 
question  of  the  war  was  discussed  with  perfect  freedom  on 
both  sides.  We  talked  with  the  utmost  plainness,  and 
were  listened  to  courteously,  though  with  a  good  deal  of 
surprise  and  some  incredulity.  In  the  graveyard  of  this 
little  hamlet,  too  small  to  occupy  a  place  upon  the  map, 
were  the  bodies  of  twenty-two  Confederate  soldiers ;  and 
there  was  hardly  a  man  there  but  that  either  belonged  to 
the  army  or  had  a  son  or  brother  connected  with  it.  Mr. 
McNeil,  our  host,  —  for  we  were  treated  rather  as  guests 
than  as  prisoners, — was  an  elder  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Few  of  those  who  talked  with  us  took  a  sanguine  view  of 
their  prospects ;  and  there  were  even  indications  that  not 
all  would  consider  failure  the  worst  of  calamities.  Most, 
however,  were  thoroughly  in  earnest  for  continued  resist- 
ance ;  nor,  believing  as  they  believed,  should  I  have  felt 
differently.  They  appreciated  our  desire  for  freedom,  and 
were  by  no  means  disposed  to  blame  us  for  attempting 
13 


194  THE    KNIGIITLY  SOLDIER. 

to  escape.  Even  our  captors,  in  their  sympathy  for  us, 
seemed  almost  to  regret  that  their  duty  compelled  them 
to  put  an  end  to  our  hopes  of  regaining  liberty. 

"After  about  an  hour  of  conversation  came  the  welcome 
invitation  to  walk  out  to  supper.  This  was  served  in  a 
small  room  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  entry,  warmed 
only — since  there  was  neither  stove  nor  fireplace  —  by 
the  heat  of  the  smoking  dishes  which  stood  upon  the  table. 
A  most  attractive  sight  it  was  to  us  after  months  of  prison- 
fare,  and  a  week  of  sawdust.  Beefsteak,  ham  and  eggs, 
griddle-cakes,  hot  biscuit  and  fresh  butter,  wheat^coffee, 
&c.,  a  clean  white  table-cloth,  and  a  servant  to  wait 
upon  table,  seemed  more  homelike  than  any  thing  we  had 
seen  for  many  a  day.  We  had  hardly  known  how  cold 
and  hungry  we  were  until  we  came  within  reach  of  warm 
fire  and  appetizing  food.  Mr.  McNeil's  table  looked  as 
if  it  were  spread  for  half  a  dozen  men ;  and  it  looked,  when 
we  left  it,  as  if  the  half  dozen  had  been  there. 

"  Among  other  visitors  to  the  house  was  a  woman,  who, 
surveying  us  with  a  severe  countenance,  sharply  inquired 
of  Captain  Chamberlain,  '  what  kind  of  weather  he  called 
that  for  gathering  broom-straws?'  Captain  Chamberlain, 
to  whom  the  drift  of  the  question  was  not  obvious,  mildly 
and  with  some  wonderment  replied,  that  it  appeared  to  him 
somewhat  cold  weather  for  any  branch  of  out-door  industry. 
With  a  manner  indicative  of  the  utmost  animosity,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  observe,  that  '  she  would  have  us  to  know  that 


PRISONERS.  195 

gathering  broom-straw  was  something  she  never  had  done, 
and,  what  was  more,  never  would  do ;  not  if  she  lived  to  be 
a  hundred  years  old,  she  wouldn't ! '  Against  an  attack  so 
vigorous  and  so  mysterious,  we  were  incapable  of  defense ; 
and,  after  one  or  two  remarks  equally  indignant  and  equally 
incomprehensible,  our  assailant  retired,  evidently  much 
relieved  in  mind.  It  turned  out  that  a  party  of  five,  to 
which  we  were  s^posed  to  belong,  had  met  her  servant 
in  the  field  gathering  broom-straw,  and  had  taken  it  into 
their  heads  to  send  her  home,  with  a  message  to  her  mis- 
tress, that,  if  she  wanted  the  article,  she  might  come  and 
collect  it  herself.  Their  sins  had  been  visited  upon  our 
heads. 

"  We  were  assigned  quarters  for  sleeping  in  the  huge 
feather-bed  in  the  corner,  while  four  men  sat  up  through 
the  night  as  guard.  Our  couch  was  most  luxurious,  and 
I  was  asleep  before  my  head  had  been  ten  minutes  on  the 
pillow.  Captain  Chamberlain,  whose  readiness  and  force 
in  argument  had  much  impressed  our  listeners,  and  had 
been  repeatedly  complimented  during  the  evening,  lay 
awake  long  enough  to  hear  some  interesting  remarks  upon 
the  discussion,  and  their  expression  of  wonder  that  men  in 
our  circumstances  could  rest  as  quietly  as  we  seemed  to 
be  doing.  For  what  reason  I  do  not  know,  but  it  was  not 
for  some  time  after  our  capture,  even  after  our  return  to 
Columbia,  that  the  bitterness  of  disappointment  came  in 
full  force  upon  us. 


196  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  After  an  excellent  breakfast,  preparations  were  made 
to  take  us  to  Chesterville,  sixteen  miles  distant,  the  near- 
est place  upon  the  railroad.  We  were  between  sixty  and 
seventy  miles  from  Columbia,  though  we  had  traveled, 
probably,  about -one  hundred  to  reach  the  place  of  our 
capture.  We  were  accompanied  by  a  guard  of  four  men ; 
so  that  we  made  quite  a  little  cavalcade,  mounted,  some 
upon  horses  and  some  upon  mules.  For  security,  Captain 
Chamberlain  and  myself  were  each  lashed  by  one  ankle  to 
the  stirrup-leather, —  a  precaution  which  had  nearly  resulted 
seriously.  Captain  Chamberlain's  horse  taking  sudden 
fright  simultaneously  with  another,  both  riders  were  thrown. 
I  thought  for  a  moment  that  it  was  all  up  with  my  friend ; 
but,  happily,  his  saddle-girth  had  been  broken,  and  tied 
up,  in  true  Southern  style,  with  a  cotton  string.  This 
gave  way  as  be  fell,  and  freed  him,  saddle  and  all,  from 
the  plunging  horse.  Not  caring  to  run  any  further  risk, 
I  had  my  saddle-girth  unbuckled,  and  met  the  mishap  I 
might  have  expected.  We  stopped  at  a  stream  for  a  drink 
of  water.  I  forgot  the  insecurity  of  my  seat,  and,  leaning 
forward  to  receive  a  cup  of  water,  threw  my  weight  too 
far  to  one  side.  The  saddle  slipped ;  once  displaced,  it 
was  in  vain  that  I  attempted  to  regain  balance.  Slowly,  if 
not  gracefully,  we  slid  off  to  the  ground ;  and  the  lashing 
had  to  be  unloosed  before  I  could  remount.  Our  route 
led  through  a  thickly  settled  region ;  and  we  were  objects 


CHESTERVILLE   JAIL.  197 

of  no  little  curiosity  to  those  who  saw  us  as  we  passed,  or 
met  us  upon  the  road." 

Reaching  Chesterville,  they  were  taken  to  the  jail,  fol- 
lowed by  a  constantly  increasing  crowd  of  townspeople. 
A  cell  was  assigned  them. 

"  It  was  exceedingly  filthy  and  repulsive  in  its  appear- 
ance. Upon  the  floor  lay  a  tumbled  heap  of  rags,  scraps 
of  carpeting,  torn  Tagging,  &c.,  which  had  evidently  formed 
the  bedding  of  the  last  inmate.  An  old  pitcher  stood  in 
one  corner.  Of  furniture,  there  was  none  whatever.  The 
walls  upon  three  sides  were  of  heavy  planking,  well  whit- 
tled, and  ornamented  with  every  variety  of  illustrations 
in  charcoal,  with  now  and  then  a  long  tally  where  some 
wretched  occupant  had  kept  weary  account  of  the  days  of 
his  imprisonment.  The  fourth  side,  opposite  the  door,  was 
composed  entirely  of  iron  grating ;  so  that  every  corner  of 
the  room  could  be  inspected  from  the  passage  which  ran 
around  each  tier  of  cells.  We  hoped  that  here  we  should 
at  least  have  refuge  from  the  not  uniformly  courteous  curi- 
osity of  the  crowd  which  had  gathered  around  us ;  whoso 
persistent  gaze,  as  they  followed  us  up  stairs,  and  peeped 
through  the  small  aperture  in  the  door,  we  endeavored  to 
avoid  by  stepping  out  of  the  range  of  vision  which  it 
afforded.  But  they  were  not  to  be  balked  in  that  way ; 
and,  in  a  moment  more,  were  rushing  into  the  passage-way, 
outside  the  grating,  with  looks  and  words  of  exultation 


198  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

that  we  could  no  longer  evade  them.  We  were  fairly  on 
exhibition.  There  they  stood,  and  gazed  through  the  bars, 
as  at  the  wild  animals  in  a  menagerie ;  while  we  paced  up 
and  down  our  narrow  limits  with  a  restlessness  which  did 
not  impair  the  likeness.  The  unwillingness  we  had  shown 
to  gratify  them,  no  doubt,  increased  their  natural  good- 
will toward  Yankees ;  and  questions  and  comments  were 
by  no  means  as  few  as  the  answers  they  received.  At 
length  the  jail  was  cleared,  and  we  were  left  to  our- 
selves." .  .  . 

A  better  room  was  assigned  them. 

"  McDonnell  the  jailer,  and  one  of  his  neighbors,  a 
physician,  spent  the  evening  with  us.  The  former  was 
confident  that,  if  he  could  have  a  few  days'  opportunity  for 
discussion,  he  could  turn  us  from  tho  error  of  our  ways, 
and  convince  us  of  the  justice  of  the  Confederate  cause. 
We  expressed  some  doubt  on  the  subject ;  but  he  knew 
there  was  no  question  about  it.  Just  let  him  explain  the 
cause  to  us,  and  we  couldn't  help  seeing  that  we  were  all 
wrong.  He  labored  with  us  faithfully,  albeit  with  a  very 
misty  comprehension  of  the  theories  he  was  endeavoring 
to  establish,  and  a  very  slender  knowledge  of  the  facts  at 
their  basis  ;  was  in  no  whit  discouraged  by  our  flat  denial 
of  his  premises  or  disproval  of  his  conclusions ;  and  we 
left  him,  at  our  departure,  in  the  full  belief,  that,  if  ho 
could  only  have  had  a  little  more  time,  he  should  infallibly 
have  made  sound  rebels  of  us. 


THE    JAILER'S   FAMILY.  199 

"  Blankets  were  sent  to  us  in  the  course  of  the  evening ; 
and  we  slept  very  comfortably  upon  the  floor  before  the 
fire.  We  had  seen  during  the  afternoon  and  evening  most 
of  the  members  of  McDonnell's  family.  His  eldest  son, 
just  below  conscript  age,  but  expecting  to  be  drafted  as 
soon  as  his  birth-day  came,  was  a  very  kind-hearted  fellow. 
He  executed  commissions  in  town  for  us ;  lent  us  books ; 
and,  in  every  way,  exerted  himself  to  oblige  us.  He  was 
entirely  free  from  the  boisterous  bluster  so  apt  to  charac- 
terize those  of  his  class  and  age,  nor  did  we  hear  an  oath 
from  his  lips.  In  both  respects,  he  was  a  marked  contrast 
to  his  little  brother  of  six  or  seven  years,  who,  hardly  able 
to  speak  plainly,  lisped  out  torrents  of  profanity ;  and  was, 
in  every  thing  but  size,  a  well-developed  bully.  The 
mother,  who  had  brought  up  the  former,  died  in  the  lattcr's 
infancy.  Miss  McDonnell,  a  young  woman  of  seventeen 
or  eighteen,  did  not  pay  us  the  compliment  of  a  call  in 
person,  but  sent  up  by  a  negro  girl  a  piece  of  pine,  with  a 
message,  rather  a  command  than  a  request,  that  she  desired 
some  crosses,  or  other  specimens  of  carving,  —  an  art  at 
which  she  evidently  supposed  every  Yankee  an  expert  by 
birth.  Regretting  to  disappoint  a  lady,  we  sent  back 
word  that  we  were  not  mechanics. 

"There  was  a  little  girl  of  eight  or  nine  years,  who, 
when  she  heard  that  we  belonged  to  the  Northern  army, 
came  to  our  door  to  inquire,  with  touching  anxiety,  if 
we  knew  any  thing  of  her  brother,  —  one  of  the  missing 


200  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

at  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill.  He  had  been,  it  seemed, 
among  those  whom  Magruder  sent  to  that  desperate  charge 
upon  the  batteries  manned  by  the  First  Connecticut  Ar- 
tillery, —  repulsed  with  the  most  terrible  slaughter  of  all 
that  bloody  campaign.  He  was  seen  lying  wounded  upon 
the  ground ;  beyond  that,  all  inquiries  as  to  his  fate  had 
been  in  vain.  .  .  . 

"  I  called  McDonnell  good-natured,  and  so  he  showed 
himself  uniformly  toward  us ;  but  it  was  the  good-nature 
of  a  beast,  needing  only  provocation  to  turn  it  into  ferocity. 
He  was  telling  us  of  various  attempts  to  escape  from  jail  ;• 
among  others,  one  of  a  negro,  who,  in  so  doing,  broke  or 
otherwise  injured  some  of  the  jail  property.  '  I  gin  that 
nigger,'  said  he,  'rather  a  light  floggin'.  Cut  him  up 
3ome ;  but  he  didn't  think  as  'twas  anyways  different 
from  a  common  floggin'.  But  when  I  came  to  wash  him 
down,  instead  of  brine,  I  washed  him  down  with  red  pep- 
per ;  poured  it  right  on  to  the  raw,  good  and  strong.  Then 
he  knew  what  I  meant.  Pretty  nigh  killed  the  old 
nigger ! '  This  story  he  related  without  the  slightest 
apparent  idea  that  it  was  otherwise  than  creditable  to  him. 
We  had  been  rather  amused  with  the  man  hitherto ;  but 
this  was  enough  for  us. 

"  During  the  next  day,  we  received  a  call  from  two  or 
three  gentlemen,  — one  of  them  a  graduate  of  Princeton  ; 
another,  the  editor  of  the  '  Chesterville  Standard.'  They 
were  curious,  they  said,  to  sec  some  Northerners  who  were 


COLUMBIA    JAIL.  201 

not  tired  of  the  war ;  and  wished  to  learn  something  of 
the  state  of  public  sentiment  among  us.  A  lively  discus- 
sion followed,  conducted  with  the  same  freedom  as  those 
in  which  we  had  engaged  before.  These,  however,  were 
different  antagonists  from  our  country  friends,  familiar 
with  the  North  and  its  people,  and  well-inflfcned  upon  the 
questions  at  issue.  Bitter  almost  to  desperation  in  their 
hostility  to  Government,  men  of  influence  and  standing, 
they  were  fair  samples  of  the  class  which  keeps  South 
Carolina  in  her  present  position.  Our  Princeton  friend 
became  somewhat  ^xcited  by  the  plainness  with  which  we 
laid  down  the  programme  of  subjugation,  and  our  confi- 
dence in  its  success,  though  he  did  not  allow  himself  to 
be  led  into  discourtesy,  and  finally  left  the  room  in  advance 
of  his  friends." 

In  the  afternoon,  Lieutenant  Belcher  of  the  Columbia 
Post-Guard  arrived  with  a  guard  to  escort  the  prisoners 
to  their  old  place  of  confinement.  He  bound  the  elbows 
of  both,  and  then  tied  them  together.  Thus  secured,  they 
journeyed  by  cars  to  Columbia,  and  were  marched  from 
the  depot  through  the  streets  of  that  city. 

"  Fifteen  or  twenty  minutes'  walk  brought  us  to  familiar 
places.  There  was  the  market-house,  at  which  we  had  so 
often  gazed  from  our  barred  windows  ;  the  street  through 
which  we  had  passed  in  going  for  water ;  then  the  old  jail, 
upon  which  we  had  hoped  never  again  to  look.  We  en- 
tered its  door,  and  our  journeyings  were  at  an  end.  We 


202  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

were  ushered  into  a  room  which  had  been  used  for  the 
confinement  of  conscripts,  adjoining  that  which  we  had 
previously  occupied.  Here  we  were  unbound  for  the  first 
time  since  leaving  Chesterville,  and  left  to  ourselves. 
Captain  Senn  soon  called  upon  us.  He  was  in  a  state  of 
considerable  excitement.  Our  escape,  he  said,  had  nearly 
ruined  him ;  and  he  accused  us  of  having  abused  the 
privileges  which  had  been  granted  us.  We  regretted 
having  caused  him  inconvenience ;  but  the  charge  we,  of 
course,  most  emphatically  repelled.  Calming  down,  he 
expressed  much  curiosity,  as  Lieutenant  Belcher  had  be- 
fore, to  know  how  we  had  contrived  to  escape.  He  had 
counted  us  himself  the  evening  before  ;  and  how  we  could 
have  left  the  building  between  that  time  and  the  next 
morning  he  could  not  imagine.  The  confidence  with 
which  he  spoke  of  our  presence  at  the  evening  count,  when 
we  were  so  snugly  ensconced  in  the  cook-room,  was  amusing 
enough  ;  but  we  declined  to  enter  into  any  explanations.  .  . 
"  We  entered  our  new  quarters  upon  the  23d  of  De- 
cember, having  been  absent  from  Columbia  a  little  more  than 
eight  days.  But  one  of  us  at  a  time  was  permitted  to 
pass  the  threshold ;  and  then  under  charge  of  an  armed 
guard,  who  was  responsible  for  us  until  we  were  again 
locked  up.  It  was  now  that  we  began  to  realize  the  dis- 
appointment of  our  failure.  Time  dragged  heavily :  release 
seemed  more  distant  than  ever  before.  Yet  there  was 
not  that  restless  torture  of  impatience  which  had  before 


OLD    QUARTERS.  203 

taken  such  complete  possession  of  me.  There  was  no 
longer  an  untried  possibility  to  mock  me  with  hope.  There 
was  a  satisfaction  in  feeling  that  I  had  done  my  utmost ; 
and  I  could  bend  my  mind  to  the  thought  of  patient  en- 
durance, as  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  do  while  it  seemed 
that  effort  might  yet  accomplish  something.  .  .  .  On  the 
last  day  of  the  old  year  came  an  order  for  us  to  return  to 
our  old  quarters  to  make  room  for  Lieutenant-Commander 
Williams  and  Ensign  Porter  of  the  navy  [the  gallant 
officer  afterward  killed  in  the  assault  on  Fort  Fisher], 
consigned  to  close  confinement  in  irons  as  hostages  for  the 
treatment  of  certain  Confederate  prisoners  in  the  hands  of 
the  United-States  authorities.  We  regretted  to  owe  our 
advantage  to  their  misfortune ;  but,  fortunately  for  us, 
this  arrangement  of  rooms  was  the  only  one  practicable ; 
and,  after  eight  days  of  seclusion,  we  rejoined  our  com- 
panions, and  entered  upon  the  year  1864  in  circumstances 
almost  precisely  the  same  as  those  of  the  period  preceding 
our  escape. 

"  The  whole  affair,  though  it  resulted  in  failure,  was 
one  which  I  by  no  means  regret.  So  far  from  considering 
the  attempt  rash  or  hopeless,  I  was,- as  you  know,  on  the 
point  of  repeating  it  a  few  days  since,  and  with  excellent 
prospects,  as  I  think,  of  success.  It  broke  the  monotony 
of  my  imprisonment  with  a  week  of  stirring  excitement. 
The  exhilaration  of  freedom  and  activity  amply  repaid  the 
accompanying  hardships ;  and  I  have  an  experience  upon 


204  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

which  I  shall  always  look  back  with  pleasure  in  its  con- 
trast with  the  dreary  months  which  preceded  and  followed 
it." 

It  was  not  long  after  his  return  to  confinement  that  Camp 
received  a  large  box  of  home-comforts,  —  clothing,  books, 
provisions,  cooking  utensils,  &c., —  sent  to  him  imme- 
diately after  the  chaplain's  release.  Besides  all  that  was 
apparent  to  the  eye,  the  box  contained  letters,  maps,  a 
compass,  and  other  things  desirable  to  a  prisoner,  so  con- 
cealed as  to  escape  the  rigid  scrutiny  of  the  Confederate 
officials.  The  arrival  of  the  box  —  the  first  from  home, 
and  so  long  on  its  passage  that  it  had  been  almost  de- 
spaired of —  was  quite  an  event  to  the  lonely  prisoner.  His 
words  of  grateful  joy  in  acknowledging  it  indicate  more 
clearly  by  contrast  the  gloom  and  sadness  of  ordinary 
prison-life  than  a,ny  thing  be  wrote  of  his  trials  and  discom- 
forts. To  his  home-friends  he  said,  "It  has  come!  of 
course  I  mean  the  box,  —  and  what  a  box  !  Like  Blitz's 
bottle,  every  thing  that  any  one  could  ask  for  or  think  of 
came  out  of  it,  and  a  thousand  things  beside  of  which  I 
never  should  have  thought, —  yet  not  one  superfluous.  If  I 
should  take  up  the  -contents  in  detail,  they  would  furnish 
me  with  more  really  new  subject-matter  than  all  that  I've 
written  about  hitherto  since  last  July :  its  arrival  is  the  grea' 
event  of  the  season.  Soberly,  you  can  hardly  imagine  thi 
importance  which  such  an  affair  assumes  in  such  a  life  as  thi:- 


THE    BOX  FROM  HOME.  205 

we  lead  here,  so  utterly  monotonous  and  destitute  of  inter- 
est. And  that  box  would  have  been  no  trifle  anywhere  to 
any  one  away  from  home  and  friends.  I  fussed  over  it  and 
what  it  contained  for  two  entire  days,  attending  to  hardly 
any  thing  else,  and  only  began  yesterday  4»^settle  down 
again  into  routine.  Indeed,  for  a  little  while,  thoroughly  as  I 
enjoyed  the  surprises  of  each  new  and  the  associations  of 
each  familiar  article,  I  was  perversely  and  ungratefully 
blue,  simply  from  disconnecting  myself  so  entirely  in 
thought  from  prison-life,  and  then  finding  it  forced  back 
upon  me." 

To  the  chaplain  he  added  :  — 

"  Oh  !  this  cramped  page,  this  lifeless  ink-talk  !  You 
know  what  I  would  say  and  what  I  would  do  if  I  were 
with  you.  God  grant  that  I  soon  may  be  !  Then  the  box, 
so  full  of  evidence  of  your  thoughtful  kindness !  — >  who  but 
you  would  ever  have  thought  of  one-half  the  little  articles 
which  make  no  great  figure  in  an  invoice,  but  are  the  most 
valuable  of  all,  because  they  bring  dear  ones  at  the  first 
glance  before  one's  very  eyes  ?  Who  but  you  could  have 
known  precisely  what  I  wanted,  and  anticipated  requests 
already  made,  but  which  you  had  never  seen  ?  I  wish  we 
could  look  over  that  box  together.  I  want  to  talk  over 
each  article  of  fifty  with  you, — and  how  much  have  I  to  say 
besides  !  The  skill  shown  in  the  selection,  the  abundance 
of  every  desirable  thing,  and  the  absence  of  every  super- 


206  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

fluous  one,  so  as  to  make  the  whole  a  complete  outfit  for 
prison  house-keeping,  astonished  the  rest,  and  surprised 
even  me  who  knew  your  ways,  and  expected  to  be  surprised. 
"If  I  could  only  write,  —  only  speak!  —  but  I  never 
could  do  either." 


CHAPTER    IX.    ** 
LIBBY  PRISON,  CAMP  PAROLE,  HOME. 

[?ER  more  than  three  months  of  siege-work  on 
Morris  Island,  the  10th  Regiment  was  ordered  to 
St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  to  recruit  for  a  season.  The 
chaplain  rejoined  it  there.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to  Camp  to 
know  that  the  regiment  was  thus,  in  his  absence,  removed 
from  the  probabilities  of  immediate  battle.  This  point 
was  one  on  which  he  was  always  anxious. 

"  The  one  addition  to  the  trials  of  imprisonment  which 
I  am  now  dreading,"  he  wrote  in  the  opening  spring,  "  is 
to  hear  that  the  regiment  has  gone  into  active  service  with- 
out me.  All  else  I  have  become  in  a  measure  inured  to, — 
that  will  come  fresh  upon  me." 

He  could  not  rest  in  prison.  Time  was  too  precious  in 
his  estimation. 

"  A  year  or  a  half-year,"  he  said,  "  is  no  inconsiderable 
fraction  of  any  man's  life.  I  would  be  doing  ;  and  I  am 
not  even  preparing.  Were  my  future  so  settled  that  I 
could  study  with  reference  to  it,  my  time  need  not  be  wholly 
lost.  But  I  sadly  fear  that  neither  German  nor  phonog- 
raphy [both  of  which  he  was  studying  in  prison]  will 

207 


208  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

ever  be  of  much  practical  benefit  to  me.  Still,  I  have 
never  regretted  for  one  instant  the  course  I  have  chosen. 
I  do  not  think  I  ever  shall ;  but  trust  to  see  by  and  by  how 
all  has  been  for  the  best." 

Rumors  as  to  exchange-negotiations  were  very  tantalizing. 
The  rebel  officials  declared  to  the  captured  officers  their 
desire  for  a  release  of  the  prisoners  on  both  sides ;  and 
the  precise  reasons  for  delay  were  never  clear  to  the  anxious 
and  interested  captives,  closely  as  they  watched  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  commissioners. 

"  Matters  look  very  dark  to  us  just  now,"  wrote  Camp. 
"  Of  course  we  would  die  here  to  a  man,  rather  than  have 
Government  yield  any  point  involving  honor  or  good  faith ; 
but,  with  no  more  than  our  present  information,  it  is  im- 
possible to  understand  why,  without  any  such  sacrifice, 
arrangements  can  not  be  made  which  would  set  us  at 
liberty." 

When  the  matter  was  in  General  Butler's  hands,  there 
was  strong  hope  of  an  immediate  settlement. 

"  We  have  made  up  our  minds  to  be  exchanged,"  Camp 
wrote  at  that  time;  "and,  if  the  affair  does  fall  through, 
you  may  put  strychnine  for  thirty-one  in  the  next  box  you 
send." 

But  again  there  was  an  interruption  of  the  negotiations. 

"  This  suspense  is  very  trying,"  he  then  wrote.  "  We 
feel  like  the  three  egg-gatherers  of  the  Orkneys,  whose 
story  used  to  be  in  the  school-readers,  —  our  rope  seems  to 


A    SECOND    FAILURE.  209 

be  parting  while  we  yet  swing  half-way  down  the  preci 
pice ;  and  it  is  a  desperate  chance  whether  the  last  strand 
holds  long  enough  to  bring  us  to  the  top."  Many  a  poor 
sufferer  dropped  from  the  rope  into  the  dark  wis^ss  beneath ; 
and  many  more  came  to  crave  death  as  an  alternative  of 
prolonged  suspense  and  suffering  in  captivity.  "  If  cap- 
ture is  not  to  be  followed  by  release,"  said  Camp  sadly, 
"  a  prisoner  loses  little  by  death." 

Another  escape  was  contemplated.  The  plan  was  made 
by  the  navy  officers ;  but  Adjutant  Camp  was  to  be  one  of 
those  profiting  by  it.  A  tunnel  was  dug  from  under  the 
hearth  in  the  navy-room,  beneath  the  yard,  toward  the  cel- 
lar of  a  neighboring  house,  whence  unobserved  egress 
might  with  safety  have  been  secured.  The  tunnel  was 
dug  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  feet  a  night ;  the  removed 
earth  being  spread  under  the  jail-floor.  Steadily  the  work 
progressed,  and  the  hearts  of  weary  prisoners  beat  with 
high  hope.  But,  when  only  work  for  a  single  night  re- 
mained unfinished,  the  tunnel  was  discovered ;  and  the 
whole  plan  was  a  failure.  Then  army  and  navy  officers 
were  together  removed  to  an  upper  story  of  the  jail,  and 
their  privileges  greatly  restricted.  Yet  other  plans  of  es- 
cape were  proposed,  and  would  doubtless  have  been 
attempted  by  Camp,  had  he  remained  longer  a  prisoner. 

The  efforts  of  those  having  influence  for  Camp's  release 
were  at  length  successful.  An  order  reached  Columbia 
about  the  middle  of  April  for  the  latter's  removal  to  Elch- 
14 


210  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

mond.  He  was  informed  of  it  by  the  post-adjutant  as  he 
came  in  one  morning  from  the  yard  at  the  close  of  the 
hour  of  exercise.  The  order  did  not  specify  that  he  was 
to  be  exchanged ;  but  be  had  reason  to  hope  that  that  was 
its  meaning,  and  his  joyful  surprise  was  for  a  time  quite 
bewildering.  He  was  sent  forward  at  once  under  guard, 
by  the  way  of  Charlotte,  Weldon,  and  Petersburg,  enjoying 
again  the  long-forbidden  sight  of  open  country,  and  having 
ample  opportunities  of  observing  rebels  in  rebeldom,  during 
the  frequent  stops  by  the  way,  and  on  the  crowded  cars. 

At  Petersburg,  connection  was  missed  with  the  Rich- 
mond train ;  and,  lest  he  should  lose  one  trip  of  the  flag- 
of-truce  boat  by  the  delay,  he  proposed  to  hire  a  carriage, 
and  hurry  forward  over  the  turnpike  the  twenty-three  re- 
maining miles.  The  guard  was  well  pleased  with  this 
arrangement,  as  it  would  expedite  his  return  to  Columbia ; 
but,  on  going  to  a  livery-stable,  they  found  three  hundred 
dollars  to  be  the  cost  of  a  hack  for  the  distance.  Even 
accustomed  as  he  was  to  Southern  prices,  that  charge 
rather  took  Camp's  breath  away,  as  he  said  afterward. 
Several  hours  of  unsuccessful  hunting  for  humbler  con- 
veyances satisfied  him  that,  if  he  should  at  length  suc- 
ceed in  finding  any  team,  its  price  would  be  quite  beyond 
his  means.  So  he  went  with  his  guard  to  the  Bolingbroke 
House  to  wait  for  the  next  regular  train.  His  experience, 
after  reaching  Richmond,  he  thus  narrated  to  the  chap- 
lain :  — 


LIB  BY  PRISON.  211 

"I  was  despatched,  under  guard,  to  the  Libby,  march- 
ing at  the  head  of  a  squad  of  rebs  destined  to  Castle 
Thunder.  My  baggage,  which  had  undergone  a  merely 
nominal  examination  by  Lieutenant  Belcher,  ak  Columbia, 
received  about  the  same  here  ;  the  sergeant  observing 
inquiringly,  that  he  '  supposed  I  had  nothing  contraband 
there  ?  '  Somewhat  doubtful  as  to  the  character  of  my 
hidden  journal,  I  replied,  that  I  didn't  think  he'd  find  any 
thing  of  that  kind  there,  —  and  he  didn't. 

"A  ladder,  substituted  some  months  since  for  the  stairs, 
was  the  means  of  communication  with  the  upper  regions. 
Ascending  this,  I  was  at  once  surrounded  by  inquirers  as 
to  the  character  of  the  last  haul,  and  conducted  at  once  to 
the  room  where  most  of  the  Connecticut  officers  were 
quartered.  You  can  imagine  better  than  I  can  tell  how 
strange  the  scene  appeared  to  me.  You  remember  the 
crowded  rooms,  the  bustle,  the  confusion,  the  contrast  in 
every  point,  with  our  old  Columbia  place  of  confinement. 

"After  I  had  been  introduced,  and  shown  the  curiosi- 
ties,— bone-work,  sketch  for  lithograph,  &c., — I  was  con- 
sidered naturalized,  and  fit  to  take  care  of  myself.  .  .  .  Our 
mess  took  two  meals  a  day,  as  in  Columbia ;  using  none 
of  the  prison-rations,  except  occasionally  a  little  meal,  liv- 
ing exclusively  upon  the  contents  of  boxes  from  home. 
Before  I  left,  then:  supplies  were  well-nigh  exhausted; 
and  we  were  eking  them  out  with  the  prison  corn-bread, 
regardless  of  the  mice,  baked  whole,  in  it.  After  the  first 


212  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

few  days,  we  took  turns  in  cooking.  I  won't  ask  odds 
from  any  Biddy  in  the  country  on  a  loaf  of  good  wheat 
bread,  —  which  is,  I  believe,  the  test  above  all  others  of 
an  accomplished  cook,  reasoning  a  fortiori. 

"  Boxes  were  issued  a  day  or  two  after  my  arrival.  I 
attended  in  the  lower  room,  thinking  it  just  possible  that 
mine  might  be  among  them.  A  blanket  was  spread  on 
the  floor,  and  the  contents  of  a  box  pitched  into  it  (the 
box  being  then  carried  away),  —  sugar,  shirts,  apple-sauce, 
boots,  coffee,  blacking,  peaches,  and  stationery,  —  all  in 
one  indiscriminate  pile.  Every  thing  had  been  thoroughly 
overhauled,  and  much  stolen.  A  bag  would  be  torn  in 
preference  to  untying  the  string  which  secured  its  mouth. 
Cans  of  milk  or  preserved  fruit  were  punched  to  ascertain 
the  contents.  ...  I  read  a  little,  played  chess  a  little, 
sketched  a  little,  cooked  a  little,  paced  the  lower  room  a 
good  deal.  .  .  . 

"  I  was  warned  upon  my  arrival  against  standing  at 
the  windows.  Any  one  who  showed  his  head  to  the  guard 
below  was  liable  to  be  shot.  But  the  exposure  was  a  com- 
mon thing.  Now  and  then  some  particularly  savage  guard 
would  evidently  be  watching  his  chance  for  a  shot  at  a 
Yankee, — and  all  would  be  careful, — tantalizing  him  now 
and  then  with  a  capital  opportunity  if  he  had  only  been 
ready  for  it,  but  with  a  prudent  regard  to  the  length  of 
time  which  it  would  take  him  to  come  to  an  aim. 

"  There  was  a  story  that  we  were  all  to  be  sent  to 


RELEASE.  213 

Georgia ;  and  it  was  doubtful  whether  that  was  not  prefer- 
able to  the  starvation  which  would  certainly  be  tho  result 
of  our  presence  at  Richmond  during  a  sfl^b,  however 
short,  and  the  possibility  (much  more  than  what  some 
thought  it)  of  being  blown  up,  rather  than  allowed  to  fall 
into  Union  hands.  Altogether  we  were  growing  daily 
less  hopeful ;  and,  about  the  end  of  April,  had  reached 
a  decided  shade  of  blue.  When,  on  Friday,  the  29th, 
the  old  story  of  '  boat  up '  came,  with  better  authority, 
apparently,  than  usual,  I  only  thought  that,  if  it  was  true, 
it  was  in  so  far  encouraging  that  we  might  receive  some 
news.  So  I  went  quietly  to  bed,  little  thinking  that  it 
was  my  last  night  in  prison. 

"  I  was  roused  from  a  doze  the  next  morning,  by  hearing 
a  list  of  names  which  was  being  read,  in  a  distinct  voice, 
in  the  center  of  the  room.  All  the  possibilities  flashed 
upon  me  at  once.  I  sat  up  in  bed,  wide  awake.  '  What 
names  are  those  ?  '  I  inquired.  '  Names  of  those  who  are 
going  in  this  boat,'  replied  Lieutenant  Carpenter.  So  there 
were  officers  going.  My  breath  came  a  little  thick,  and 
how  I  listened  !  I  had  missed  one  or  two  at  the  beginning, 
but  no  matter ;  he  was  still  reading  names  of  field-officers. 
Then  came  captains,  —  a  dozen  or  so;  lieutenants;  then 
an  adjutant;  and  lieutenants  again.  If  there  had  been 
more  than  one  adjutant,  wouldn't  they  have  been  put 
together?  '  Lieutenant  H.  W.  Hamp ! '  A  thrill  ran 
through  me.  Did  he  mean  me  ?  It  must  be ;  but  it 


214  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

wouldn't  do  for  me  to  allow  myself  to  think  so.  I  wouldn't 
think  so  until  I  had  asked  him. 

"  As  he  read  the  last  name  and  turned  away,  I  jumped 
to  my  feet,  followed  him,  and  laid  my  hand  upon  his 
shoulder.  It  was  Captain  Dick  Turner,  the  inspector. 
He  turned,  somewhat  surprised  apparently,  at  my  appear- 
ance, as  well  he  might  be  :  my  toilet  had  not  been  elaborate, 
and  was  deficient  in  a  few  minor  articles,  such  as  pants 
and  stockings.  '  There  was  one  name,'  said  I,  '  which  I 
am  not  sure  I  understood,  —  Hamp,  I  think  you  called  it.' 
He  opened  the  list :  my  eye  ran  down  the  page  in  the  tenth 
part  of  a  second.  There  it  was,  —  a  little  too  much 
flourish,  — '  Camp,  lieutenant  and  adjutant,'  but  no 
room  for  any  doubt.  I  took  a  good  breath.  By  and  by 
he  found  it :  it  was  close  to  the  bottom  of  the  page. 
'  Camp  is  my  name,'  said  I :  '  is  not  that  what  it  is  meant 
for?'  '  That  your  name ?  Yes:  Camp, — that's  right.' 
I  walked  back  with  a  wonderful  feeling  pervading  me ; 
not  so  much  an  intelligent  and  definite  sense  of  joy  as  a 
consciousness  of  being  half-intoxicated,  with  a  necessity 
of  putting  myself  under  restraint  lest  I  should  do  some- 
thing absurd.  It  was  the  inability  of  my  mind  instantly 
to  take  in  and  realize  the  significance  of  what  had 
passed.  •" 

"I  had  been  told  that  the  names  of  those  who  went 
before  had  been  read  an  hour  or  two  before  they  started  ; 
had  no  doubt  that  there  was  plenty  of  time  before  me,  and 


RELEASE.  215 

leisurely  slipping  on  pants,  stockings,  and  shoes,  started 
for  the  lower  east  room  to  wash  before  roll-call.  Passing 
the  stairs,  I  noticed  a  crowd  around  them,  and  in  a  moment 
more  heard  some  one  say,  '  They've  all  gone  down  now  ! ' 
If  I  were  to  be  left !  You  can  imagine  that  grass  didn't 
grow  under  my  feet  before  I  stood  in  the  office,  overcoat 
on,  and  valise  in  hand,  —  the  latter  fortunately  already 
packed.  I  was  not  the  last  after  all,  and  should  have  had 
time  to  make  my  toilet,  though  without  many  minutes  to 
spare. 

"  Those  who  preceded  me,  and  they  were  nearly  all, 
were  drawn  up  in  line  in  the  lower  hall.  While  we  stood 
there  another  officer  came  down.  The  name  of  Stewart 
was  on  the  list,  and  had  been  answered  to :  but  his  name 
was  Stewart  as  well ;  was  not  he  the  man  ?  How  number 
one  looked  at  him  !  But  there  had  been  no  mistake  this 
time ;  and  number  two,  poor  fellow,  sadly  went  back  up 
the  stairs  to  his  prison.  It  was  enough  to  make  one 
shudder,  like  seeing  a  drowning  man  clutch  at  the  plank 
which  floats  your  head  above  water,  miss  it,  and  sink. 

"The  parole  was  read  to  us,  not  to  serve  until '  exchanged 
under  the  cartel  of  July,  1802 ; '  and  we  signed  it  in  dupli- 
cate. We  passed  through  a  door  leading  to  the  outer  hall, 
one  by  one;  each  answering  affirmatively  the  question, 
1  You  declare,  upon  your  honor  as  an  officer  and  a  gentle- 
man, that  you  have  no  letter  or  paper  from  any  person?' 
and  there  was  no  examination.  Forming  by  fours  in  the 


216  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

street,  while  the  guard  were  drawn  up  around  us,  we  waited 
for  some  time,  while  those  within  shouted  messages,  con- 
gratulations, and  farewells  to  us.  Every  window  in  the 
building  was  crowded  with  faces  pressed  close  to  the  iron 
bars.  It  was  a  sad  sight :  the  prison  looks  far  more  terri- 
ble and  prison-like  without  than  within,  where,  as  the 
'  Examiner '  said  one  day,  it  resembles  the  interior  of  a 
grocery-store  more  than  any  thing  else. 

"  Marching  to  the  landing,  we  went  on  board  the 
'  Allison' ;  and,  after  some  delay,  started  down  the  river  at 
half-past  eight.  Three  hundred  sick  men  were  with  us ; 
and  they  were  an  awful  sight,  in  their  disease  and  filth. 
Stretched  upon  deck,  without  blanket  or  overcoat,  some 
looked  as  if  they  would  die  where  they  lay.  There  were 
piles  of  mattresses  lying  close  by ;  but  these  were  not  to  be 
used :  they  were  for  the  rebel  sick  upon  the  return  trip. 
I  saw  them  spread  Lefore  I  left  the  boat  at  City  Point. 
One  poor  fellow  was  deranged,  and  had  to  be  caught  two 
or  three  times  as  he  wandered  about  the  boat,  and  returned 
to  those  who  were  caring  for  him. 

"  It  was  half-past  twelve  when  we  reached  City  Point, 
and  saw  for  the  first  time  in  many  months  the  stars  and 
stripes,  as  they  floated  above  the  '  New  York,'  which  lay 
there  at  anchor.  I  used  to  think  that  enthusiasm  for  the 
flag  was  principally  a  manufactured  article,  and  indulged  a 
philosophical  contempt  for  those  who  allowed  a  material 
object  to  occupy  the  place  in  their  minds  which  should  be 


JOYFUL    MEETING.  217 

filled  by  the  abstract  principle.  But  I  shall  have  charity 
henceforth  for  all  Fourth-of-July  orators,  IflBlwing  myself 
better  than  I  did ;  and  honest  feeling,  even  if  it  flies  the 
spread  eagle  a  little  too  high  for  my  taste,  shall  have 
cheers  instead  of  sneers  from  me.  It  was  some  two  hours 
before  the  transfer  of  prisoners  was  accomplished,  and  I 
stepped  upon  our  own  boat,  free.  You  know  how  I  felt! " 

At  the  very  time  when  Camp  was  hunting  after  a  con- 
veyance from  Petersburg  to  Richmond,  his  regiment  was 
embarking  from  St.  Augustine  for  Virginia.  While  he 
was  in  the  Libby,  it  was  at  the  Gloucester-Point  rendez- 
vous of  the  newly  formed  Army  of  the  James.  When  he 
reached  Fortress  Monroe  by  the  flag-of-truce  boat  from 
City  Point,  on  the  evening  of  May  1,  he  was  met  by 
Chaplain  Trumbull,  who  was  waiting  his  arrival.  The 
joy  of  that  meeting,  oh !  who  can  tell  ? 

After  the  interview,  which  was  but  brief,  as  the  boat  was 
on  its  way  to  Annapolis,  Camp  wrote  :  — 

"You  have  just  left  me,  and  I  am  still  in  a  maze, — 
whether  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  I  can  hardly 
tell.  So  joyful  and  so  astonishing  a  surprise !  For 
though  I  had  thought  of  your  being  in  Virginia,  as  a 
possibility,  I  supposed  you  were  still  in  St.  Augustine ; 
and  nothing  under  heaven  could  have  seemed  further  be- 
yond  the  range  of  hope  than  to  actually  see  you  and 
talk  with  you  to-night.  Oh,  if  we  could  have  a  little 
longer  time !  .  .  .  Thank  God  that  he  has  granted  us  so 


218  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

much  !  What  would  I  have  given,  three  days  ago,  for  the 
assurance  of  it !  and  the  spirit  of  complaint,  which,  even 
now,  I  can  hardly  repress,  is  too  ungrateful.  I  am  a 
thousand  times  happier  than  I  deserve  to  be,  —  almost  as 
happy  as  I  could  be.  My  cup  is  full :  I  won't  ask  to 
have  it  overflow." 

Two  days  later,  writing  from  Annapolis,  where  he  was 
delayed  nearly  a  week,  he  said,  — 

"  I  have  enjoyed  your  letter  greatly  :  it  is  yourself  a  lit- 
tle way  off,  it  is  true,  but  seen  through  clear  atmosphere, 
and  not  the  smoked  glass  of  a  prison-page  toned  down  to 
pass  rebel  inspection.  But,  oh !  how  I  used  to  prize  the 
dimmer  pictures  in  the  midst  of  my  darkness  ! 

"  I  am  just  beginning  to  realize  that  I  am  free.  Until 
within  a  few  hours,  the  jesting  cry  of  '  Boat  up,  three  hun- 
dred officers  on  board,'  would  send  the  same  thrill  through 
me  which  it  did  at  the  Libby.  I  have  still  a  great  respect 
for  enlisted  men  on  duty,  and  half  expect  some  of  them  to 
take  me  in  charge  as  I  pass  through  the  streets.  My  hand 
doesn't  rise  to  a  salute  spontaneously  :  it  requires  a  distinct 
volition.  Did  you  jump  at  once  back  to  your  old  posi- 
tion?" 

Camp's  fear  then  was  that  his  regiment  would  be  en- 
gaged before  he  could  rejoin  it.  He  was  yet  only  paroled, 
and  he  longed  for  a  full  exchange.  "  There  is  a  captain 
here,"  he  writes,  "  who  has  been  paroled,  and  for  whom 
General  Butler  is  going  to  arrange  with  Judge  Ould  a 


AT  HOME.  219 

special  exchange.  I  wish  he'd  put  my  name  on  the  same 
paper.  Uncle  Sam  may  take  back  my  leaflkof  absence, 
and  I'll  throw  in  the  half-pay,  and  all  he  owes  me  too." 

The  10th  Regiment  left  Gloucester  Point,  May  4th,  as- 
cended the  James  with  General  Butler's  expedition,  and 
landed,  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  at  Bermuda  Hundred. 
On  the  7th,  it  participated  in  the  first  attack  on  the  Peters- 
burg and  Richmond  Railroad.  The  news  of  this  fight  was 
received  by  Camp  just  after  he  reached  bis  home  from 
which  he  bad  been  so  long  and  sadly  separated.  Even  in 
the  fullness  of  his  joy  at  that  re-union,  he  could  not  repress 
the  desire  to  be  with  his  regiment  at  the  front ;  and  his  af- 
fectionate anxiety  for  his  friend  manifested  itself  freely  in 
his  letters. 

"  I  know  just  how  you  feel  about  exposure  in  battle," 
he  wrote.  "  If  I  could  be  there,  we  would  go  to  the  front 
together ;  but  you  have  no  right  to  go  without  me.  I  can't 
have  you  do  it.  You  know  J  wouldn't  ask  you  to  stay 
back  one  inch  behind  the  post  of  duty ;  but,  for  my  sake, 
don't  go  one  inch  beyond  it.  Oh  !  it  is  hard  to  think  of 
you  in  danger  which  I  must  not  share." 


CHAPTER  X. 

CAMPAIGNING  WITH  THE  AEMY  OF  THE  JAMES. 

|  ATE  in  the  evening  of  May  llth,  Camp  heard 
indirectly  that  the  prisoners  paroled  prior  to  April 
30th  were  declared  exchanged.  At  once  he 
telegraphed  to  a  friend  in  Washington  to  ascertain  the  truth 
for  him.  Learning  early  the  next  morning  the  report  to 
be  correct,  he  telegraphed  to  Annapolis  for  permission  to 
go  directly  to  his  regiment,  but  was  informed  that  he  must 
report  again  at  Camp  Parole.  But  five  days  of  his  leave 
had  yet  expired.  He  had  been  eighteen  months  away 
from  home,  nearly  ten  of  these  in  prison.  Not  many,  un- 
der such  circumstances,  would  have  been  unwilling  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  remaining  fifteen  days  with  a  loved 
household,  before  returning  to  hard  service  in  the  field  ;  but 
with  Henry  Camp  the  cause  of  country  was  the  cause  of- 
God,  and  for  that  cause  he  was  willing  to  leave  father  and 
mother,  and  brother  and  sisters,  and  to  lose  his  life  for  its 
sake. 

Not  stopping  even  for  the  completion  of  the  clothing  he 
had  ordered  made,  nor  yet  for  the  packing  of  a  valise ; 
wearing  his  clumsy  prison-shoes  of  rebel  make  ;  and  taking 

220 


RETURN    TO    THE    ARMY.  221 

only  a  haversack  for  his  personal  baggage^trusting  to 
share  blankets  and  whatever  else  was  required  with  his 
friend  at  the  front,  —  he  was  ready  for  a  start  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  after  the  receipt  of  his  telegram,  and  hurried 
off,  on  Wednesday  night,  for  New  York  and  Annapolis ; 
thence  to  Fort  Monroe  and  Bermuda  Hundred,  reaching 
the  latter  point  on  Sabbath  evening,  May  15. 

His  regiment  had  left  camp  on  the  12th,  with  General 
Butler's  advance  to  the  rear  of  Drury's  Bluff,  and,  after 
sharp  fighting  on  the  13th  and  14th,  was  now  bivouacked 
near  the  Richmond  and  Petersburg  Railroad.  The  chap- 
lain had  left  the  regiment  that  afternoon  to  visit  the  hospi- 
tal, and  to  write  from  camp  to  friends  of  the  dead  and 
wounded.  The  joy  of  his  unexpected  meeting  with  his 
friend,  on  reaching  the  camp,  can  only  be  imagined.  The 
re-united  friends  sat  together  that  night,  until  4  A.M.,  then 
slept  a  single  hour,  and  at  five  were  up,  making  ready  to 
rejoin  their  regiment. 

It  was  the  foggy  morning  of  May  16.  The  sharp 
firing  of  the  battle  at  the  extreme  right  —  the  position  of 
the  18th  Corps  —  was  heard  by  the  friends  as  they  rode  out 
of  camp ;  but  they  did  not  suppose  it  boded  trouble  to  the 
10th  Corps  at  the  far  left.  As  they  approached  the  Rich- 
mond turnpike,  they  saw  evidences  of  disaster.  Full  sup- 
ply-trains had  been  turned  back ;  shirks  and  stragglers 
were  hurrying  to  the  rear ;  rumors  of  a  defeat  came  down, 
at  first  vague  Afterward  more  definite  and  positive.  The 


222  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

friends  met  an  officer  of  General  Heckman's  Brigade,  an 
old  acquaintance,  and  from  him  learned  of  the  morning 
attack,  and  the  severe  losses  in  the  engagement  on  the 
right.  General  Heckman  and  Captain  Belger  were  pris- 
oners :  Colonel  Lee  was  erroneously  reported  killed,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Chambers  was  mortally  wounded :  — 
all  these  were  old  North-Carolina  fellow-officers.  Affairs 
wore  indeed  a  gloomy  aspect.  The  turnpike  was  thronged 
with  hastily  retiring  troops,  wounded  men,  rebel  prison- 
ers, ammunition-wagons,  and  ambulances ;  and  confusion, 
if  not  disorder,  prevailed.  Many  of  those  first  met  were 
evidently  much  alarmed,  and  gave  an  exaggerated  report 
of  the  disaster. 

Of  the  10th  Corps  it  was  not  easy  to  obtain  intelligence. 
Communication  with  it  had  been  temporarily  severed,  and 
the  story  was  in  many  mouths  that  it  had  been  cut  off  and 
captured,  —  albeit  the  friends  knew  it  too  well  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  that  report.  That  it  had  changed  position  was 
confidently  asserted,  but  how  to  find  it  was  a  troublesome 
question.  An  officer  of  rank  stated  that  it  had  moved 
down  the  railroad,  and  was  already  some  distance  in  the 
rear.  That  assertion  was  contradicted  by  another  officer, 
five  minutes  later.  Camp's  anxiety  to  reach  his  regiment 
grew  greater  and  more  intense  continually.  In  prison, 
he  had  more  than  once  expressed  the  wish  that  he  could 
rejoin  it  in  the  hour  of  battle ;  and  now  it  seemed  that  he 
might  hope  to  do  so.  Hither  and  thither  the  friends 


REJOINS   HIS   REGIMENT.  223 

hurried,  in  endeavors  to  learn  the  whereab^s  of  their 
corps.  Any  one  who  has  looked  for  a  missing  command 
in  the  time  of  an  engagement,  and  no  one  else,  will  under- 
stand how  next  to  impossible  it  then  is  to  secure  reliable 
information  of  its  locality,  even  from  those  who  would  be 
supposed  to  know.  Again  and  again  the  friends  were 
warned  of  the  folly  of  an  attempt  to  cross  to  the  extreme 
left,  which  the  10th  Corps  had  occupied,  and  told  that 
their  capture  would  be  inevitable,  if,  indeed,  they  escaped 
with  their  lives.  The  prospect  of  so  speedy  a  return  to 
the  Libby  was  certainly  not  enticing  to  the  just-released 
prisoner;  but  he  had  no  thought  of  slackening,  on  that 
account,  his  efforts  to  reach  his  regiment. 

Moving  up  the  road,  Camp  met,  coming  down,  Captain 
Stanton  of  the  21st  Connecticut  Volunteers,  of  Heckman's 
Brigade,  who  pulled  an  oar  with  him  at  the  "Worcester 
rogatta.  The  captain's  bleeding  right  arm  was  in  an 
extemporized  sling ;  he  having  been  wounded  in  the  mom- 
ing's  fight.  As  he  had  heard  that  Camp  died  in  a  rebel 
prison,  he  was  as  surprised  as  pleased  to  find  him  alive 
and  well.  To  make  sure  of  the  10th  Corps,  the  friends 
sought  Major-General  Butler,  and,  finding  him  with  some 
difficulty,  ascertained  that  General  Gillmore's  Corps  was 
still  in  position  at  the  left.  They  then  made  haste  in  that 
direction ;  and,  as  they  approached  it,  met  wounded  men 
of  their  regiment  coming  to  the  rear.  The  10th  had  been 
hotly  engaged,  and  lost  heavily.  It  was  still  at  the  far 


224  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

front.  They  still  had  difficulty  in  finding  its  precise 
location.  Sharp  musketry-firing  was  heard  just  in  advance. 
Other  wounded  men  coming  back  said  it  was  again 
engaged.  There  was  intense  earnestness  in  Camp's  look 
as  he  turned  to  his  friend,  and  said,  in  tones  of  strongest 
determination,  "We  must  reach  the  regiment  at  once,  in 
one  way  or  another."  Not  many  seconds  later,  as  the 
two  urged  on  their  horses,  the  head  of  the  regiment  came 
in  view  over  the  crest  of  a  hill  the  riders  were  ascending. 
That  Adjutant  Camp  was  recognized  a  wild  shout  of  joy 
gave  proof.  As  he  drew  his  horse  to  the  roadside,  the 
regiment  filed  past ;  and  each  company  successively  greeted 
him  with  hearty  hurrahs,  while  he  sat,  with  cap  in  hand,  in 
all  his  manly  beauty,  receiving  their  gratulations  with 
feelings  of  grateful  pride  that  atoned  for  weary  months  of 
waiting  and  suffering  in  prison.  Not  alone  Colonel  Otis 
gave  him  greeting,  but  Colonel  (now  General)  Plaisted, 
the  brigade-commander,  hastened  forward  to  bid  him 
welcome ;  and  even  General  Terry,  with  all  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  battle  on  him  in  that  imminent  hour  for 
his  division,  swung  his  hat  in  sympathy  with  the  cheer- 
ing regiment,  and  spurred  forward  his  horse  to  take  the 
returned  adjutant  by  the  hand,  and  express  his  cordial 
satisfaction  at  seeing  him  once  more  in  his  old  position. 
It  was  but  a  few  minutes  before  Camp  was  conveying 
orders  along  the  line  as  naturally  as  though  he  had  never 


REAR    GUARD.  225 

been  absent,  while  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  ^stled  past 
his  ears. 

"  During  most  of  the  time  after  this,"  he  wrote,  "  we 
acted  as  rear-guard,  —  a  very  unpleasant  duty  upon  a 
retreat.  To  make  a  stand  merely  for  the  purpose  of  delay, 
to  take  positions  which  we  knew  we  could  not  hold,  to 
keep  the  pursuing  enemy  in  check  while  others  made  good 
their  escape,  —  it  was  harassing  and  dispiriting  work. 
At  one  place,  forming  line  with  several  other  regiments, 
we  remained  several  hours  without  being  attacked,  and 
had  almost  concluded  that  we  were  to  march  in  unmolested, 
when  the  order  came  for  us  to  move  forward,  and  hold  tlio 
crest  of  a  hill  some  distance  farther  up  the  road.  A  section 
of  a  battery  (two  pieces)  occupied  a  position  just  opposite 
our  right  flank.  We  had  stood  here  some  time  with  no 
sign  of  an  enemy,  when  suddenly  the  fierce  rush  of  a 
shell  tore  the  air  close  by  us.  A  better  shot  could  hardly 
have  been  made  in  a  hundred  trials ;  but,  strangely  enough, 
no  one  seemed  to  be  hurt.  The  artillerists  scattered  as  if 
the  explosion  had  blown  them  away  bodily ;  and  it  seemed 
for  a  minute  or  two  as  if  the  guns  were  to  be  abandoned. 
Their  commander  rallied  his  men,  however ;  but  even  then 
the  bight  of  his  ambition  seemed  to  be  to  get  his  guns 
safely  away,  and  in  this  he  succeeded.  I  don't  believe 
the  same  movement  was  ever  executed  in  less  time  than 
it  took  those  fellows  to  have  their  section  in  readiness,  and 

15 


226  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

then  tear  down  the  road  at  the  full  speed  of  their  horses. 
It  was  absolutely  ridiculous  ;  and  our  men  stood  by  enjoy- 
ing and  commenting  in  a  style  that  the  battery-commander 
would  hardly  have  considered  complimentary. 

"  From  the  same  quarter  as  before,  shell  followed  shell 
in  rapid  succession,  —  some  passing  far  beyond  our  line, 
and  striking  in  the  track  of  the  flying  artillery ;  some  tear- 
ing up  the  ground  before  us,  filling  the  air  with  earth  and 
dust ;  some  exploding  just  above  our  heads,  and  sending 
the  ragged  iron  fragments  among  us  in  every  direction. 
Only  one  man,  however,  was  hit ;  and  his  wound  was  a 
mere  contusion.  It  is  nervous  work,  this  standing  target 
for  shells.  You  can  tell  a  second  or  two  in  advance  about 
where  the  missile  is  coming,  whether  high  or  low,  whether 
upon  the  right  or  left,  and  if  it  seems  to  be  just  about  in 
a  line  with  your  own  position,  and  about  four  feet,  say, 
from  the  ground,  there's  a  short  time  during  which  you  are 
much  interested  as  to  the  correctness  or  incorrectness  of 
your  estimate." 

That  night  found  all  of  General  Butler's  troops  who 
remained  of  the  expedition  safely  within  the  Bermuda 
Hundred  line  of  defenses. 

The  campaign  which  thus  commenced  to  Camp  ended 
to  him  only  with  his  death.  He  hardly  knew  what  it  was 
to  rest  again  while  he  lived.  Battles  and  skirmishes  alter- 
nated with  tours  of  exciting  and  perilous  picket-duty, 
in  the  face  of  a  vigilant  and  determined  enemy.  Being 


LETTER  -  WRITING.  227 

f 

tinder  fire  was  the  soldiers'  normal  condition  in  the  Army 
of  the  James  during  the  summer  of  1864. 

When  the  10th  Corps  was  re-organized  at  Gloucester 
Point,  the  10th  Connecticut  was  brigaded  with  the  llth 
Maine,  the  100th  New  York,  and  the  24th  Massachusetts, 
under  Colonel  H.  M.  Plaisted  of  the  llth  Maine.  The 
brigade  was  the  third  of  General  Terry's  division.  The 
24th  Massachusetts  and  the  10th  had  been  friends  in  all 
their  campaigning.  The  100th  New  York  had  been 
brigaded  with  both  in  South  Carolina.  The  llth  Maine, 
although  more  recently  with  them,  soon  became  a  general 
favorite,  and  that  and  the  10th  were  almost  as  one  regi- 
ment. 

Camp's  letters  to  his  home  from  Bermuda  Hundred 
were  full  and  entertaining  as  ever.  His  faithfulness  as  a 
correspondent  was  remarkable.  From  the  day  he  entered 
service  until  he  died,  his  home-letters  averaged  above  three 
full  pages  per  day.  These  were  written,  without  prefix  or 
signature,  to  the  family  as  a  whole,  and  formed  a  complete 
record  of  his  entire  army  and  prison  life.  Of  course, 
much  of  his  writing  was  by  the  wayside,  or  on  the 
battle-field.  Seldom  did  many  hours  pass  without  bis 
writing  something  to  the  loved  ones.  The  extracts  freely 
made  from  these  familiar  letters,  written  exclusively  for 
family  eyes,  in  this  memorial,  show  the  style  and  sub- 
stance of  his  correspondence. 

"  I'm  half  afraid,"  he  wrote,  soon  after  his  return  from 


228  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

Drury's  Bluff,  "that  my  anxiety  to  join  my  regiment 
may  have  made  me  seem  not  to  appreciate  home ;  but 
you  know  me  better  than  that,  don't  you  ?  I  can  hardly 
recall  five  so  bright  days  in  my  life  as  those  five  with  you. 
I  trust  there  will  be  many  more  like  them.  It  would  have 
been  delightful  to  be  longer  with  you ;  but  none  of  us 
would  have  had  it  so  at  the  cost  of  absence  from  the  place 
of  duty." 

Tuesday  evening,  May  17th,  Camp  addressed  his  com- 
rades at  a  prayer-meeting,  by  the  blazing  fire-light,  in  the 
open  air ;  and  again  his  voice  was  heard  by  them  in  earnest 
prayer.  A  few  hours  later,  he  was  hurrying  with  them 
toward  the  Petersburg  pike  for  a  night-attack  on  the 
moving  trains  of  General  Beauregard.  Those  who  were 
near  him,  as  the  regiment  lay  in  support  of  the  llth  Maine, 
•will  not  forget  how,  when  an  unexpected  shower  of  bullets 
was  poured  in  among  the  reclining  men,  causing  a  mo- 
ment's flutter,  as  if  some  would  seek  shelter,  the  tones 
of  his  clear,  firm,  inspiring  voice,  saying,  "  Steady,  men  ! 
STEADY  !  "  re-assured  all  who  were  within  its  sound. 

"  It  is  a  strange  life,  this,"  he  wrote  a  few  days  later, 
"that  we  lead  here,  —  widely  different  from  any  thing 
that  I  have  seen  before  in  army  service.  The  constant 
liability  to  attack,  and  frequent  skirmishes  on  the  picket- 
line,  close  in  front  of  us,  make  us  indifferent  to  what,  in 
other  times,  and  at  other  places,  would  have  caused  us  the 
intensest  excitement.  Sharp  fighting  is  going  on  while  I 


ARTILLERY  FIRE.  229 

write,  just  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  beyond  the  works,  — 
so  near  that  every  shot  fired  comes  plainly  to  the  ear ;  and 
the  cheers  of  our  men  ring  loudly  through  the  air,  —  so 
different  from  the  beastly  falsetto  roar  with  which  the 
rebels  charge,  that  we  do  not  doubt  that  our  forces  are 
attacking  the  rifle-pits  which  they  lost  a  few  hours  ago." 

Describing  a  night-attack  on  the  lines,  May  21st,  when, 
as  on  many  another  occasion,  the  regiment  was  hurried 
from  its  camp  to  the  works,  he  said,  "  The  scene,  as  viewed 
from  the  intrenchments  which  our  regiment  immediately 
manned,  was  a  very  striking  one.  Artillery  fire  by  night 
is  a  beautiful  sight.  The  red  burst  of  flame  from  the 
muzzle  of  each  gun  lights  up  the  whole  landscape  like  a 
flash  of  summer  lightning;  the  shell  describes  its  long 
curve  through  the  air,  leaving  behind  a  trail  of  sparks 
from  the  burning  fuze  ;  and  its  explosion  brings  again 
into  momentary  sight,  sometimes  the  tree-tops  only,  above 
which  it  bursts,  or  sometimes,  if  well  aimed,  the  long,  low 
line  of  rebel  earth-works,  near  the  forest's  edge.  Then 
the  enemy's  reply,  — the  distant  flash,  dim  in  comparison 
with  the  startling  glare  of  the  shell  which  explodes,  it  may 
be,  close  at  hand,  shooting  long  tongues  of  fire  in  all  direc- 
tions from  a  huge  nucleus  of  intensest  brilliance.  Add  to 
this  the  almost  incessant  thunder  of  the  rapid  discharges, 
the  whole  in  its  contrast  with  the  previous  darkness  and 
silence  of  a  quiet  moonless  night,  and  you  have  that  which, 
once  seeing  and  hearing,  you  will  not  soon  forget." 


230  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

Two  nights  later,  the  10th  was  on  picket  when  an  order 
came  from  division  headquarters  for  scouts  to  be  sent  out 
to  ascertain  if  the  enemy  was  still  in  full  force  in  front. 
Camp  passed  along  the  line  conveying  these  orders  from 
Colonel  Otis  to  his  officers.  Hardly  had  he  returned  to 
the  reserve  when  sharp  firing  was  heard  at  the  left. 
Hurrying  thither  with  the  colonel,  they  found  it  was  before 
the  adjoining  brigade.  Again  they  returned  to  their 
starting-point. 

"  Before  Henry  and  I  had  been  half  an  hour  at  the 
reserve,"  wrote  Camp,  "  after  our  second  return  from  the 
advance,  came  the  alarm  of  an  attack,  just  as  it  always 
comes,  —  first  the  crack  of  one  or  two  rifles,  startling  one 
from  his  rest,  and  sounding  in  the  stillness  as  if  it  were 
within  twenty  feet  of  him.  This  comes  from  the  advanced 
posts,  where  the  men  fire  the  instant  they  discover  an 
enemy,  and  then  fall  back ;  then  the  fire  of  the  whole 
line,  — not  a  solid  volley,  such  as  one  hears  at  a  drill,  but 
an  irregular  roll,  unlike  any  thing  else  when  heard  close  at 
hand,  but  sounding  at  a  distance  so  much  like  the  clatter- 
ing rumble  of  heavy  wagons  over  a  rough  road,  that  even 
a  practiced  ear  is  sometimes  deceived.  This  time,  the 
sounds  were  close  at  hand,  and  with  them  came  the  whistle 
of  bullets. 

"  We  who  slept  at  the  reserve  were  quickly  upon  our 
feet,  and  out  of  our  shelter.  One  company  of  our  regi- 
ment was  stationed  a  short  distance  up  the  road ;  to  this 


EXPOSURE.  231 

the  colonel  sent  me  with  orders  to  hold  itself  in  readiness 
for  an  immediate  move  to  any  part  of  the  line  which 
might  be  hardest  pressed.  Henry  and  I  walked  toward 
it  through  a  sharp  fire ;  the  message  was  delivered,  and 
we  returned  with  a  most  uncomfortable  apprehension  all 
the  way  that  we  might  be  hit  in  the  back.  The  announce- 
ment wouldn't  read  well  in  the  newspapers,  however 
necessary  the  movement  of  which  it  was  the  result. 

"  Reaching  the  reserve,  there  was  nothing  more  to  be 
done  just  at  present  but  wait.  Colonel  Otis  must  not 
move  forward  to  the  line  lest  messages  sent  to  him  at  his 
post  should  fail  to  reach  him,  and  there  we  remained.  It 
was  a  far  more  dangerous  position  than  at  the  front,  being 
near  the  central  point  of  a  convex  line  of  defenses ;  so  that 
we  had  a  cross-fire  upon  us  within  short  range  of  the  rebel 
works,  and  we  were  standing  out  in  full  exposure  while  all 
others  were  sheltered  behind  defenses  of  one  sort  or  another. 
I  don't  know  why  it  is,  but  this  sort  of  danger  affects  me 
comparatively  little.  Shot  and  shell,  as  long  as  I  know 
that  I  am  not  more  than  others  their  special  mark,  I  can 
listen  to  with  a  good  deal  of  confidence  that  none  of  them 
mean  me;  but  the  knowledge  that  a  sharp-shooter  has 
his  eye  upon  me ;  is  calculating  the  correctness  of  his  aim, 
since  that  last  bullet  missed  its  mark  ;  thinking  whether  he 
had  better  take  me  in  the  head  scientifically,  or  make  a 
sure  thing  of  it  by  aiming  a  little  lower  down,  —  this,  I 
must  confess,  gives  me  a  curious  sensation  in  the  pit  of  the 


232  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

stomach,  and  makes  mo  cast  now  and  tben  a  wistful  glance 
to  the  biggest  tree-trunk  near  by.  Of  course,  I  don't  go 
there ;  but  I  have  a  good  deal  of  sympathy  with  the  fellow 
that  does,  after  all. 

"  At  this  time,  however,  we  had  no  such  apprehensions. 
We  had  heard,  incredulously  hitherto,  of  an  explosive 
bullet,  said  to  be  fired  by  the  enemy  :  now,  close  by  us, 
nearer  than  the  crack  of  our  own  rifles,  sounded,  every  now 
and  then,  a  sharp  little  explosion,  like  that  of  a  pistol.  Wo 
were  inclined,  after  listening  to  a  few  of  them,  to  believe 
the  stories  we  had  heard,  though  I  do  not  know  that  any 
of  the  fragments  have  been  picked  up.  As  Colonel  Otis, 
Henry,  and  I  stood  together,  the  bullets  flew  thick  and 
fast ;  and  we  had  more  than  one  narrow  escape.  .  .  . 

"  The  advance  of  the  rebels  was  repulsed,  Colonel  Otis 
bringing  our  reserve  company  into  action ;  and,  by  half-past 
two  or  three  in  the  morning,  all  was  again  quiet." 

Until  about  the  first  of  June,  there  was  little  intermis- 
sion to  this  skirmishing  and  artillery  fighting.  Of  one  of 
his  earlier  visits  to  a  large  redoubt  at  the  left  of  bis  regi- 
mental front,  commanded  by  Major  Trumbull  of  the  1st 
Connecticut  Artillery,  he  wrote, — 

"  Major  Trumbull  invited  us  this  morning  to  the  top  of  the 
parapet,  to  examine  the  rebel  works  with  greater  ease.  The 
interest  of  the  view  was  increased  by  his  explanations.  '  These 
works  in  the  plain  just  beneath  are  our  own  rifle-pits,  those 
yonde-  in  the  woods  are  theirs.  Their  sharpshooters 


UNDER   FIRE.  233 

post  themselves  in  the  under-growth  much  nearer.  I  don't 
know  how  it  will  be  to-day,  but  yesterday  no  officer  could 
show  himself  here,  without  finding  himself  a  mark  immedi- 
ately. You'll  see,  if  we  get  a  shot,  it  will  come  from 
that  thicket  on  the  left.  Between  where  we  stand  and  that 
traverse,  a  few  rods  distant,  eight  men  have  been  picked 
off  since  Sunday.'  But  the  discourteous  rebels  didn't 
seem  to  think  us  worth  their  notice ;  and  we  came  down 
without  a  salute." 

"  I  think  we  have  been  more  under  fire  within  the  past 
ten  or  twelve  days,"  Camp  wrote  about  the  same  time  with 
the  above,  "than  in  all  our  previous  army  life, —  merci- 
fully protected,  both  of  us,  as  always  hitherto,  and  as  I 
trust  it  may  be  in  the  future,  until  we  reach  home  to- 
gether." 

It  would  seem  as  though  such  service  was  sufficiently 
active  to  satisfy  Camp's  utmost  craving  for  usefulness; 
but  when  Turner's  division  of  the  10th  Corps  accompanied 
the  18th  Corps  across  the  James  to  re-enforce  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  the  Bermuda-Hundred  front  was  for  a 
few  days  a  little  quieter,  he  was  again  disturbed  lest  he 
should  be  left  where  there  was  not  the  greatest  need  of 
men ;  and,  while  listening  to  the  thunder  of  the  Cold-Harbor 
battles,  he  wrote  in  a  regretful  mood  which  he  never  in- 
dulged save  when  denied  the  privilege  of  doing  more  for 
the  cause  he  loved. 

"  Again  through  the  day  boomed  the  heavy  guns  far  to 


234  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  northward  ;  and  now,  assured  that  the  fight  had  really 
reached  the  gates  of  Richmond,  we  listened  anxiously,  and 
waited  impatiently  as  we  still  wait  for  news.  This  morn- 
ing brings  the  same  roar  to  our  ears,  but  louder  and  clearer 
than  before, —  a  hopeful  indication  we  think  it.  As  I  stop 
writing  to  listen,  it  seems  to  have  ceased.  Oh  that  we 
were  where  it  has  come  from,  instead  of  dozing  here,  hemmed 
in  by  a  handful  whom  Beauregard  probably  didn't  think 
worth  taking  with  him  to  meet  Grant ! 

"  You  can't  be  having  a  more  humdrum  life  than  we 
have  had  for  two  or  three  days  now.  Yet,  when  I  stop  to 
think,  we  should  have  called  just  such  days  as  these  a 
time  of  the  intensest  excitement  at  Newberne,  or  St.  Helena, 
or  in  any  other  place  I  have  ever  been.  We  have  been 
shelled  in  our  intrenchments,  we  have  picketed  within  pistol- 
shot  of  the  enemy,  we  have  had  word  sent  that  they  were 
massing  opposite  the  right,  as  if  for  an  attack  in  force. 
We  have  had  every  thing,  except  personal  participation  in 
a  fight,  and  the  narrow  escape  which  was  beginning  to  be 
a  part  of  the  regular  programme  of  each  day." 

Picket-service  was  a  very  different  matter  at  Bermuda 
Hundred  from  what  it  had  been  at  any  place  before  occu- 
pied by  the  10th.  At  Newberne  and  St.  Augustine  the 
enemy  might  make  his  appearance  at  any  time,  at  Sea- 
brook  Island  he  was  in  sight  of  the  outposts,  at  James 
and  Morris  Islands  he  was  within  gunshot ;  but  at  Ber- 
muda, he  was  almost  within  arm's-length,  —  within  speak- 


PICKET  DUTY.  235 

ing  distance  along  the  entire  front.  As  a  portion  of  the 
line  was  in  the  pine-woods,  it  was  not  an  easy  thing  to 
pass  from  post  to  post  in  the  darkness ;  and  a  few  paces  in 
the  wrong  direction  after  leaving  the  tree  of  one  vedette 
in  search  of  the  next  would  take  one  into  the  lines  of  the 
enemy.  As  much  of  the  posting  was  done  after  nightfall, 
the  duties  of  the  adjutant  in  conveying  orders  from  the 
colonel,  and  in  aiding  to  establish  the  line,  were  respon- 
sible and  trying.  More  than  one  officer  or  soldier  of  this 
side  or  the  other  strayed  from  his  path,  and  was  taken  pris- 
oner on  that  perplexing  front;  and  Camp  would  have 
shrunk  far  more  from  the  thought  of  captivity  than  of 
death. 

Sociability  between  opposing  pickets  was  a  fresh  feature 
of  outpost  life,  resulting  from  the  proximity  of  the  two  lines. 
Describing  a  walk  from  left  to  right  along  the  picket  front, 
before  batteries  No.  3  and  No.  4,  Camp  wrote  :  — 

"  Crossing  the  open  ground,  we  entered  the  woods  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  plain.  Here  our  lines  and  theirs 
converged,  so  that  the  posts  were  as  near  to  one  another 
as  across  the  front  of  our  house-yard.  "We  stopped  and 
watched  those  opposite  us  for  a  few  minutes ;  and  they 
seemed  equally  interested  in  us.  Very  natural  they  looked 
in  their  gray  jackets  and  pants,  just  like  the  fellows  who 
were  keeping  guard  over  me  a  few  days  ago.  We  scruti- 
nized their  faces  to  see  if  we  couldn't  recognize  some  of  our 
old  acquaintances  among  them ;  but  these  were  North- 


236  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

Carolina  men,  — the  same,  some  of  them,  who  had  fought 
us  at  Roanoke,  Newberne,  and  Kinston :  so  they  said. 
They  invited  us  to  come  over  and  visit  them :  they  had 
tobacco,  which  they  wanted  to  barter  for  what  we  could 
give ;  and  very  likely  we  might  have  accepted  the  invitation 
and  returned  in  safety ;  but  we  didn't  put  the  question  to 
test.  .  .  . 

"  The  opposing  pickets  have  been  on  excellent  terms 
for  the  past  few  days.  On  Monday,  just  before  the  artil- 
lery fire  commenced,  the  rebels  at  the  outposts  warned  our 
men,  '  Get  into  cover,  boys :  our  guns  are  going  to  open 
right  away  ! '  And  yesterday  they  called  out  to  the  men 
of  the  Massachusetts  24th,  that  they  had  an  ugly-tempered 
fellow  on  as  officer  of  the  day,  and  would  very  likely  be 
ordered  to  fire  at  any  Yankee  whom  they  could  see. 
'  But  thejirst  time,'  said  they,  '  we'll  fire  high  :  after  that 
you  must  look  out.'  Good-natured  fellows,  weren't  they? 
not  such  as  you  would  care  to  kill  on  general  principles, — 
only  for  special  reasons." 

The  night  of  June  15th  found  the  10th  on  picket  at  the 
extreme  right,  next  the  James.  Soon  after  midnight,  word 
came  to  the  reserve  that  the  enemy  had  planted  cannon  so 
as  to  sweep  the  main  road  across  which  ran  the  picket-line ; 
that  he  was  massing  troops  as  for  an  attack  at  the  right ; 
and  that  he  had  advanced  his  vedettes  as  if  to  make  room 
for  an  assaulting  column.  Major  Greeley,  being  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  at  the  time,  went  immediately  to  the 


AN   ADVANCE.  237 

front,  and  Camp  accompanied  him.  That  there  was 
unusual  activity  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  there  could  not 
be  a  doubt.  The  rumble  of  moving  artillery  and  army- 
wagons  was  distinctly  heard  ;  and  the  clatter  of  swift-riding 
horses,  with  the  voices  of  officers  giving  orders,  close  at 
hand,  mingled  with  the  rattle  of  trains  over  the  Petersburg 
track  from  far  beyond.  But  whether  all  these  movements 
indicated  an  evacuation,  or  the  arrival  of  re-enforcements 
for  an  attack,  was  an  undecided  but  interesting  question 
to  the  waiting  listeners  at  the  advanced  rifle-pits.  It  was 
impossible  to  decide  from  the  sound  in  which  direction  the 
teams  were  moving. 

Adjutant  Camp  was  sent  to  make  report  of  what  was 
heard  to  Colonel  Voris  of  the  67th  Ohio,  division-officer 
of  the  day.  The  latter  had  received  similar  reports  from 
all  along  the  line.  Orders  were  given  for  the  entire  force 
to  stand  to  arms  until  daylight.  Just  in  the  gray  of  the 
morning  came  orders  for  the  vedette  line  to  be  re-enforced, 
and  every  other  man  of  it  pushed  forward  to  feel  the 
enemy's  front.  The  thin  skirmish-line  of  the  10th,  thus 
formed,  moved  out ;  Major  Greeley,  Adjutant  Camp,  and 
his  friend  following  it  closely.  It  was  an  exciting  advance. 
The  rumble  of  wheels  was  still  heard,  and  the  voices  of  the 
enemy  seemed  not  far  in  front.  There  was  every  reason 
to  expect  momentarily  a  checking  fire.  They  passed  the 
posts  where  the  rebel  vedettes  stood  at  sundown.  They 
approached,  unopposed,  the  rifle-pits  over  which  the  heads 


238  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

of  the  Johnnies  had  peered  at  them  the  day  before.  The 
sounds  which  were  first  heard  had  not  yet  died  away  ;  but 
the  enemy  made  no  attempt  to  stay  the  skirmishers'  progress. 
They  saw  before  them  the  line  of  strong  works  which  had 
so  long  kept  General  Butler's  forces  cooped  up  in  the 
peninsula;  but  no  signs  of  life  appeared,  although  the 
voices  and  the  rumbling  wheels  were  distinct  as  at  the 
start.  The  abattis  was  torn  aside,  the  ditch  was  leaped, 
the  steep  sides  of  the  parapet  were  clambered ;  and,  with  no 
little  satisfaction,  they  stood  on  the  crown  of  the  formidable 
intrenchments,  and,  looking  right  and  left,  saw  that  they 
were  in  unquestioned  possession. 

As  yet  only  fifty  or  sixty  men  —  extended  along  a  front 
of  half  a  mile  —  had  moved  out  from  the  10th;  and  no 
force  was  in  supporting  distance.  The  enemy  had  not 
all  deserted  the  Hewlett  Redoubt ;  and  the  handful  of  skir- 
mishers nearest  to  it  made  haste  along  the  parapet  to  cut 
off  the  retreat  of  those  still  there,  and  succeeded  in 
capturing  three  commissioned  officers  and  nearly  thirty 
enlisted  men. 

The  few  who  were  participants  in  that  morning  advance 
and  skirmish  on  the  bank  of  the  James  will  not  soon  forget 
the  excitement  of  its  progress,  or  the  satisfaction  of  its 
success.  The  regiment  was  ordered  up,  with  other  troops 
at  the  left ;  and  soon  the  evacuated  works  were  fully  occu- 
pied by  a  competent  force,  while  General  Terry  pushed 
out  to  cut  once  more  the  Petersburg  and  Richmond  Rail- 


AT   BEST.  239 

road.  The  10th,  having  cleared  out  the  rifle-pits  on  its  new 
front,  and  taken  a  few  more  prisoners,  held  a  position 
along  the  works  near  the  river,  where  it  had  made  its  first 
captures  in  the  morning. 

"  Upon  the  river-bank  stood  a  house,  once  the  residence 
of  a  Dr.  Howlett,  — a  pleasant  place  still,  with  a  magnificent 
prospect  over  the  river,  which  winds  two  hundred  feet 
beneath.  From  its  roof,  the  spires  of  Richmond  are  plainly 
to  be  seen,  unless,  as  was  the  case  now,  the  air  is  too  hazy 
to  permit  it.  The  house  has  been  riddled  with  shell  from 
our  gunboats  and  monitors,  which  have  made  it,  and  a 
battery  close  beside  it,  their  especial  target  for  weeks  past. 
In  this  battery,  forming  part  of  the  line  of  works,  was 
planted  the  largest  and  most  formidable  gun  which  the 
rebels  had  in  front  of  us,  —  a  hundred-pounder  Parrott, 
which  we  should  have  been  very  glad  to  have  been  able  to 
silence. 

"  Near  this  house  wo  sat  down  to  rest.  The  ice-house 
attached  to  it,  still  partially  filled,  furnished  us  with  an 
unaccustomed  luxury.  The  trees  shaded  a  soft  green 
turf,  and  we  thought  ourselves  well  off  in  our  temporary 
headquarters.  The  morning  wore  away ;  and,  except  an 
occasional  shot  in  front,  all  was  quiet.  We  strolled  about 
the  place,  examining  the  effects  of  shot  and  shell.  One 
of  the  latter,  a  fifteen-inch  plaything  from  a  monitor,  lay 
unexploded  half-way  down  the  steep  hillside.  Our  boys 
amused  themselves  with  rolling  it  to  the  bottom. 


240  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  Lying  down  upon  the  grass,  we  were  waiting  the  ar- 
rival of  dinner,  when  a  roar  like  that  of  a  dozen  shrieking 
locomotives  close  at  hand  —  a  shock  which  made  the  earth 
tremble  beneath  us ;  and  a  tremendous  explosion,  all 
nearly  simultaneous  —  startled  us,  not  to  use  a  stronger 
expression.  Looking  down  the  river,  a  cloud  of  white 
smoke,  drifting  away  from  the  turret  of  a  monitor,  showed 
us  what  it  meant.  A  hundred-pound  rifle-shell  had  struck 
the  bank  just  below  us,  and  exploded  there.  We 
were  supposed  by  our  naval  friends  to  be  some  of  the 
rebels  to  whom  they  had  been  devoting  their  attention  for 
a  month  past.  While  we  still  looked,  another  cloud  of 
smoke  rolled  out  from  a  second  port-hole.  We  jumped  to 
cover,  or  threw  ourselves  flat  upon  the  earth.  A  second 
or  two,  and  again  the  howl  and  explosion,  —  the  latter  not 
far  from  overhead  ;  while  the  huge  fragments  of  a  two- 
hundred  and  fifty-pound  shell  from  a  *fifteen-inch  smooth- 
bore flew  all  around  us,  —  striking  the  trees  close  by, 
burying  themselves  in  the  earth,  or  whizzing  past  and  en- 
dangering those  who  stood  in  a  redoubt  some  two  hun- 
dred yards  distant,  —  Colonel  Otis  and  Captain  Goodyear 
among  them. 

"  This  would  never  do.  We  must  contrive  to  let  them 
know  that  we  were  friends.  White  handkerchiefs  were 
put  in  requisition,  though  it  was  doubtful  how  clearly  they 
would  be  visible  at  a  distance  of  something  like  a  mile ; 
and,  while  the  rest  sought  cover,  the  orderly-sergeant  of 


FRIENDS   AS   ENEMIES.  241 

Company  '  H '  [now  Lieutenant  Grinsell]  stood  upon  a 
tall  gate-post,  waving  his  signal,  not  flinching  an  inch 
when  the  second  shell  burst  above  him  so  near  at  hand. 
They  saw  the  sign,  fired  no  more  shots,  and  presently  a 
boat  put  off,  a  white  flag  flying  at  her  bows,  and  pulled 
toward  us;  the  officer  in  charge  probably  expecting  to 
receive  the  surrender  of  a  body  of  rebels.  He  must  have 
been  somewhat  disconcerted,  I  think,  when  near  enough 
to  distinguish  our  uniform ;  but  took  it  coolly  enough 
when  we  met  him  at  the  landing,  sincerely  hoped  no  one 
had  been  hurt,  and  was  pleased  to  have  an  opportunity  to 
examine  the  effects  of  their  fire.  We  complimented  him 
on  the  accuracy  of  his  shots,  and  invited  him  to  dinner. 
He  declined  the  invitation,  but  made  us  quite  a  call ;  filled 
his  boat  with  ice,  and  then  returned, — not  to  hear  the 
last  of  it,  I  suspect,  though,  for  some  time.  We  have 
been  fired  at  by  our  own  land-forces  often  enough  before  ; 
but  this  monitor-shelling  is  a  new  variety,  and  throws  other 
artillery-fire  as  much  in  the  shade  as  that  does  musketry. 
No  wonder  that  the  rebels  find  gunboat-practice,  in  the 
rare  instances  where  they  are  exposed  to  it,  so  demoral- 
izing." 

The  enemy's  troops  had  been  withdrawn  from  the  Ber- 
muda-Hundred front  to  hurriedly  re-enforce  Petersburg 
against  Grant's  attack.  Lee  was  hastening  from  Rich- 
mond to  fill  the  gap.  General  Butler  deciding  not  to 
hold  the  new  pasitiin,  acquired  at  so  little  risk,  the  rebel 
16 


242  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

works  were  evacuated  at  sundown  on  Terry's  return  from 
the  railroad.  The  10th  was  the  last  regiment  to  fall 
back,  being  instructed  to  hold  its  position  "at  all  haz- 
ards," while  the  other  troops  withdrew  to  their  lines  of 
the  morning.  The  situation  was  a  critical  one ;  for  the 
enemy  was  coming  down  in  strong  force,  charging  the  no 
longer  defended  lines  with  hideous  yells,  and  being 
actually  over  the  parapet  at  the  left  of  the  10th,  while 
severely  pressing  its  front,  before  word  came  for  the  latter 
to  retire.  Yet  so  firmly  did  the  10th  hold  its  ground,  and 
so  steady  and  accurate  was  the  fire  of  its  skirmishers,  that 
the  advance  of  the  enemy  was  checked,  and  the  regiment 
finally  withdrew  not  only  in  good  order,  but  unopposed. 
The  enemy  quickly  followed  up  the  retiring  troops,  and 
attacked  vigorously  along  the  line ;  but  were  repulsed 
with  case. 

The  next  two  days  there  was  almost  hicessant  skirmish- 
ing on  the  Bermuda-Hundred  front.  The  closing  page 
of  a  letter  from  Camp,  written  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
18th,  illustrates  the  manner  in  which  his  correspondence 
was  persevered  in  when  the  only  leisure  to  be  found  was 
in  the  intervals  of  active  movements  at  the  extreme  front. 

"  It's  impossible  to  tell,  when  one  commences  a  sentence, 
when  and  where  he  will  finish  it.  We  arc  lying  here  now 
as  a  support  to  the  right  of  our  division  picket-line,  which 
is  in  danger  of  being  flanked ;  the  center  having  been 
driren  in.  All  had  been  quiet  for  some  time,  until,  a 


CLOSE   FIRING.  243 

moment  or  two  ago,  just  as  I  was  taking  out  the  portfolio, 
a  bullet  or  two  came  whizzing  past.  '  Ah  ! '  said  Henry, 
'  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  has  come.'  '  Hum- 
ming-birds '  our  boys  call  these  rifle-bullets.  There  strikes 
another  now,  a  little  to  my  left,  near  where  Henry  stands 
talking  with  a  group  of  men.  I  doubt  whether  I'm  al- 
lowed to  write  many  minutes  more.  Artillery  is  pounding 
away  heavily  toward  the  left.  Henry  returns  to  sit  by 
me  and  write.  That  bullet  was  meant  for  him,  —  a  man 
who  stood  by  him  saw  whence  it  came.  Their  sharp- 
shooters are  evidently  on  the  lookout  for  us.  I  hope  we 
shall  stay  where  we  are  long  enough  for  me  to  finish  my 
letter.  They  are  opening  upon  us  now  with  spherical 
case,  — pretty  good  shots  too.  Our  officers  and  a  few  of 
the  men  sit  upon  the  ground  too  far  in  the  rear  of  the 
rifle-pits  to  be  sheltered  at  all  by  them.  A  shot  struck 
just  now  within  a  yard  or  two  of  our  boys,  a  couple  of 
rods  to  the  right  of  where  we  are  sitting :  they  seem  to 
have  our  range  exactly.  I  must  close  this  and  send  it." 

The  severe  shelling  which  followed  that  letter-writing 
he  described  a  few  days  later  :  — 

"  At  half-past  three  Saturday  morning,  we  were  ordered 
out  to  support  the  llth  Maine,  which  held  the  right  of  the 
picket-line.  We  occupied  a  rifle-pit  a  few  rods  in  their 
rear,  and,  having  taken  position,  lay  down  for  another  nap. 
The  morning,  after  our  waking  and  breakfast,  was  chiefly 
occupied  in  writing ;  a  shell  from  the  rebel  works  every 


244  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

few  minutes  giving  me  subject-matter  for  an  occasional 
parenthesis.  All  these  passed  harmless  by ;  and  we  wrote 
on,  or  read  the  papers  just  brought  up,  paying  them  no 
attention,  beyond  now  and  then  an  involuntary  start,  when 
one  came  lower  and  nearer  than  usual.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  rebel  gunners  now  for  the  first  time  saw  the  mark  to 
be  aimed  at.  Of  this  we  received  intimation  by  the  burst- 
ing of  a  shell  two  or  three  rods  to  the  left  and  rear  of 
where  we  sat ;  the  fragments  cutting  twigs  and  branches 
from  the  trees  above  us,  and  the  bullets  with  which  it  had 
been  filled  (it  was  a  spherical  case)  striking  the  ground 
in  fifty  places  around. 

"  Shell  after  shell  now  came  in  rapid  succession,  and 
with  the  most  wonderful  accuracy  of  direction  and  length 
of  fuze.  Henry  and  I  had  thought  the  first  a  chance-shot, 
and  had  not  moved  from  our  seat  under  a  tree,  a  little  in 
the  rear  of  the  rifle-pit.  But  as  one  after  another,  at 
intervals  of  a  few  seconds  only,  exploded  nearly  in  the 
same  place,  we  made  up  our  minds  that  even  the  slight 
protection  of  the  open  rifle-pit  was  not  to  be  disregarded, 
and  took  position  in  it  by  the  side  of  Major  Greeley,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  regiment.  Every  man  was  speedily 
ensconced  in  the  same  cover.  As  Henry  rose  from  the 
ground  to  enter  it,  a  ragged  piece  of  iron  struck  within  six 
inches  of  him  :  he  picked  it  up,  hot  with  the  flame  of  the 
yowder,  and  brought  it  with  him. 


SHELLS.  245 


"Leaning  our  backs  against  the  side  of  the  trench  in 
•which  we  sat,  we  thought  our  danger  to  be  only  about 
one-half  that  of  a  position  upon  the  level  ground.  Owing 
to  the  velocity  of  the  exploding  shell,  few  of  its  fragments 
fall  behind  or  even  under  it.  Most  of  them  are  thrown  in 
front  of  the  point  at  which  it  bursts.  Most,  I  say ;  but, 
after  all,  it  is  about  as  unpleasant  to  be  hit  by  one  of  a 
dozen,  as  by  one  of  two  dozen  missiles.  So  we  looked  up, 
and  wondered  —  as  each  fierce  explosion  smote  our  ears  to 
positive  pain,  filling  the  air  with  powder-smoke,  and  hiding 
for  a  moment  all  that  was  before  our  eyes  —  whether  this 
was  the  one  meant  for  us. 

"  The  air  was  full  of  flying  iron  and  lead,  pattering  in 
a  shower  upon  the  ground,  rattling  like  hail  among  the 
trees,  cutting  off  branches  and  twigs,  throwing  down  the 
piled-up  earth  of  our  shelter,  and  dashing  up  little  clouds 
of  dust  above,  before,  behind,  on  all  sides  at  once.  Right 
among  us  in  the  rifle-pit  they  struck  :  the  wonder  seemed 
that  any  escaped,  yet  for  a  time  no  one  was  touched. 
A  tree  grew  above  our  heads.  Among  its  branches,  per- 
haps thirty  feet  from  the  ground,  a  shell  burst,  tearing 
them  to  pieces,  covering  us  with  the  falling  shreds  of 
wood,  bark,  and  leaves ;  but  the  shower  was  a  harmless 
one.  Just  before  where  we  sat  rose  a  much  larger  tree, 
a  pine.  Mingled  with  the  explosion  of  a  shell  came  the 
sounl  of  a  sharper  though  less  stunning  crash.  '  Look 


246  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

out,  boys ! '  called  some  one ;  and  down  thundered  the 
tree,  its  trunk  shivered, — falling  directly  toward  us,  but 
a  yard  or  two  from  our  position. 

"The  fire  came  from  several  directions.  One  gun  in 
our  front  seemed  never  to  fail.  Every  shell  which  it  sent 
burst  over  some  part  of  our  line  as  accurately  as  if  it  had 
been  thrown  like  a  hand-grenade.  Another,  far  to  our 
right,  flung  its  shot  a  few  feet  above  our  heads ;  and  on 
they  went,  crashing  along  through  the  woods,  with  swift 
succession  of  sharp  reports  mingling  with  their  shrieks  as 
tree-trunks  snapped  like  pipe-stems,  their  tops  whirled  in 
air,  the  path  beneath  marked  with  shivered  boughs  and 
limbs  rent  from  their  places  of  growth.  Then  came  the 
explosion  far  in  the  rear,  where  were  posted  our  reserves. 

"  This  shelling  lasted  for  more  than  an  hour.  Narrow 
escapes  were,  of  course,  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception ; 
still,  as  yet  no  one  had  been  so  much  as  grazed.  At 
length  there  was  a  lull, — a  little  time  of  utter  quiet; 
then  came  that  for  which  all  this  had  been  only  preparation. 
A  wild  yell  sounded  through  the  woods  upon  our  left,  and 
in  a  moment  more  there  mingled  with  it  the  crack  of  a 
thousand  rifles.  Yell  upon  yell,  volley  upon  volley, 
nearer  and  nearer  every  second.  '  Make  ready,  boys ! ' 
called  Major  Greeley ;  and  at  once  every  man  who  had  not 
already  risen  was  upon  his  feet.  Just  then  came  one 
more  shell,  —  almost  the  last  which  was  fired  :  it  skimmed 
low,  struck  the  ground  a  few  rods  in  front  of  us,  bounded 


THE    FIGHT.  247 

just  high  enough  to  clear  the  ridge  of  earth  before  the  rifle- 
pit,  and  strike  a  man  who  had  just  risen  in  obedience  to 
the  order.  Poor  fellow  !  he  never  knew  that  he  was  hit. 
One  shoulder,  half  his  neck,  and  the  lower  part  of  his 
head,  were  carried  sheer  away.  He  dropped  without  a 
groan  or  a  quiver.  Hardly  "any  one  knew  it.  Henry 
and  I  did  not,  though  we  were  but  a  few  yards  from  him. 

"  Each  man  was  leaning  over  the  breastwork,  his  rifle 
at  his  shoulder,  his  eye  fixed  on  the  openings  of  the  wood 
in  front,  among  whose  trees  we  expected  every  moment  to 
see  the  gray  coats  of  an  advancing  line.  I  haven't  known 
since  I  entered  the  army  a  moment  of  more  intense  excite- 
ment. Nor  was  it  over  in  a  moment.  Bullets  were  flying 
fast  above  us,  but  no  enemy  made  his  appearance.  On 
our  left  the  fight  was  raging  fiercely ;  no  cessation  of  the 
rapid  volleys,  no  intermission  of  the  rebel  yells,-  which,  still 
approaching,  seemed  to  be  just  upon  our  flank  and  close  at 
hand,  indicating  that  our  line  had  been  broken  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  below  us.  ... 

"  The  fight  did  not  reach  us.  Upon  our  left,  it  swayed 
back  and  forth,  —  Colonel  Otis  commanding  upon  our  side 
as  general-officer  of  the  day.  The  enemy,  in  their  first 
rush,  gained  possession  of  part  of  our  line  of  rifle-pits ; 
but  were  afterward  driven  back  with  loss  of  prisoners, 
and,  at  the  close,  we  held  our  old  position.  Their  sharp- 
shooters afterward  annoyed  us  somewhat, — several  shots 
being  fired  at  Henry  as  he  stood  talking  with  the  men, 


248  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

several  at  Major  Greeley  and  myself;  but  no  one  was  hit. 
Henry  buried  the  poor  fellow  who  was  killed  by  the  shell 
not  far  from  where  be  fell ;  and  we  returned  about  dark 
to  camp.  At  midnight,  we  were  ordered  out  again,  and 
remained  through  the  sabbath,  —  a  quiet  day.  Return- 
ing once  more  to  camp  at  evening,  we  saw  the  smoke  of  a 
rebel  ram,  which  had  come  down  the  river,  now  returning 
under  the  fire  of  our  gunboats.  A  prayer-meeting  in 
camp  closed  the  day  pleasantly." 

In  modest  under-estimate  of  his  power  in  graphic  deline- 
ation of  these  thrilling  scenes  of  army-life,  he  said,  — 

"I  have  described  the  same  thing  —  or  what  must  seem 
so  to  you  —  in  the  same  words  so  often,  that  I  am  heartily 
tired  of  the  story  myself,  and  mean  to  quit  grinding  my 
single-tune  hand-organ.  If  I  could  bring  out  the  distinc- 
tive features  which  individualize  similar  yet  widely  different 
scenes,  and  make  each  one  fresh  in  its  exciting  interest  to 
us  who  have  part  in  it,  it  would  be  worth  while  to  attempt 
a  new  sketch  for  each  ;  but  all  that  is  left  in  my  power 
now  is,  in  transparent-slate  style,  to  trace  over  again  my 
old  lines  with  a  pencil  that  grows  duller  each  time  I  re- 
peat the  experiment." 


CHAPTER  XL 

DEEP  BOTTOM.  —  STRAWBERRY  PLAINS.— DEEP 
RUN. 

j|UNE  20th,  the  10th  C.  V.,  as  a  portion  of  Brig- 
adier-General R.  S.  Foster's  new  command, 
marched  down  from  the  Bermuda-Hundred  front 
to  Jones's  Landing,  and  thence  crossed  the  James  during 
the  evening  in  the  boats  on  which  the  pontoon  was  subse- 
quently laid.  It  was  this  movement  which  gave  General 
Grant  possession  of  Deep  Bottom,  —  his  base  thencefor- 
ward of  all  operations  north  of  the  James.  The  enemy 
occupied  the  position  at  that  time,  and  on  Colonel  Otis  de- 
volved the  delicate  and  difficult  task  of  establishing,  be- 
tween midnight  and  morning,  a  safe  picket-line  in  a  portion 
of  country  he  had  never  visited  before,  pressing  back  the 
rebel  pickets  as  he  posted  his  own.  Adjutant  Camp  had 
his  full  share  of  duty,  aiding  in  this  important  work. 

Again  there  were  weeks  of  picketing  in  close  proximity 
to  the  enemy,  with  occasional  skirmishes  and  annoyance 
from  artillery-fire.  The  pickets  were  as  sociable  as  before 
Bermuda  Hundred.  On  one  occasion,  some  South-Caro- 
linians inquired  for  Adjutant  Camp  and  Chaplain  Trumbull, 
whom  they  had  guarded  in  the  Columbia  jail,  and  sent 

249 


250  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

them  kindly  greeting.  The  10th  was  on  picket  when  the 
flag  of  truce  passed  out  to  arrange  for  the  visit  to  Richmond 
of  Colonel  Jacques  and  Edmund  Kirke,  and  again  when 
the  latter  returned  from  their  mission.  One  morning  the 
rebels  brought  down  a  light  battery  to  Strawberry  Plains 
and  drove  the  gunboats  out  of  range,  killing  and  wound- 
ing quite  a  number  on  one  of  the  double-enders ;  then 
threw  shot  and  shell  across  Four-Mile  Creek  at  General 
Foster's  headquarters  and  the  camp  of  the  10th,  explod- 
ing shell  directly  over  the  tent  where  the  field  and  staff" 
of  the  latter  sat  at  breakfast,  giving  the  servants  who  were 
bringing  in  the  coffee  hair-breadth  escapes,  and  tearing 
through  tents  but  a  few  yards  distant. 

There  were  days  of  discomfort  in  that  Southern  mid- 
summer, when,  as  Camp  said,  — 

"The  weather  we  are  having  is  beyond  description, — 
not  merely  heat,  but  an  enervating  influence  in  the  air, 
that  makes  it  seem  impossible  to  move  hand  or  foot.  We 
should  hardly  have  energy,  if  we  saw  the  rebels  coming 
over  the  top  of  the  hill,  to  get  up  and  form  line,  without 
a  written  order  from  headquarters." 

And  there  were  stormy  nights  of  discomfort  on  the 
picket-line.  Of  one  of  these  he  wrote  :  — 

"  It  threatened  rain,  and,  before  lying  down  to  sleep, 
we  made  an  inner  roof  of  shelter-tents  to  our  booth  of 
boughs.  The  rain  came.  We  slept  quietly;  and  con- 
gratulated ourselves  upon  our  forethought,  until  the  rising 


NARROW   ESCAPE.  251 

wind  warned  us  that  we  were  not  yet  safe.  Our  shelter 
was  very  slightly  constructed ;  it  swayed  to  and  fro  in 
the  gusts,  and  at  length,  as  a  fiercer  blast  swept  along, 
toppled  and  fell  with  a  crash,  burying  us  completely. 
The  materials  of  which  it  was  built  were  not  heavy  enough 
to  hurt  us.  We  turned  over,  and  went  to  sleep  again. 
The  wet  cloth  which  covered  us,  and  the  branches  piled 
above,  were  of  no  service  in  keeping  off  rain,  and  they 
made  rather  a  heavy  counterpane ;  but  it  was  of  no  use 
to  think  of  building  a  new  shelter  then,  and  we  lay  still. 
Our  rubber-blanket  made  an  excellent  water-proof  bottom 
for  the  puddle  which  was  speedily  formed  around  us ;  and, 
before  morning,  we  were  as  well  drenched,  and  as  well 
chilled,  as  need  be.  It  reminded  me  quite  forcibly  of  my 
last  December's  experience  in  the  South-Carolina  woods." 

One  afternoon,  when  the  10th  was  charged  with  the 
duty  of  pushing  out  the  picket-line  on  either  side  of  the 
Kingsland  Road,  to  make  room  for  the  expected  19th  Corps, 
Camp  had  a  very  narrow  escape  on  the  vidette-line  from  a 
rebel  sharpshooter,  close  at  hand ;  the  bullet  striking  the 
tree  at  which  he  stood,  just  at  the  bight  of  his  head. 

"  Strange,  how  many  bullets  miss  !  "  he  wrote  of  this, 
in  coolness ;  "  not  only  those  fired  at  random,  in  the 
excitement  of  battle,  but  those  sent  with  deliberate  aim, 
and  at  short  range." 

His  perils  and  privations  seemed  only  to  remind  him 
that  he  was  doing  and  enduring  something  for  the  cause 


252  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

he  loved,  and  to  give  him  fresh  reason  for  thankfulness  that 
he  was  again  in  the  field. 

"  Ah  !  those  poor  fellows  in  Columbia,  and  their  friends, 
—  am  I  not  grateful,  and  you  for  me  that  I  am  not  there  ? 
My  prison-life  seems  to  me  already  like  a  dream.  I  don't 
remember  much  about  it  now  that  the  nightmare  has  left 
me.  How  much  better  to  come  back  here  and  be  shot,  if 
that  proves  the  alternative,  than  to  have  stayed  where  I 
was!" 

He  never  dwelt  on  the  dark  side  of  his  personal  lot  in 
hard  service.  He  was  never  despondent  for  the  national 
cause.  No  matter  how  much  he  suffered,  no  matter  how 
much  of  gloom  seemed  to  others  to  enshroud  the  civil  or  the 
military  situation,  he  was  always  contented  and  hopeful. 
The  pillar  by  which  God  led  him  through  the  wilderness 
was  of  brightness  by  day  and  by  night. 

After  a  night  under  arms  at  the  Deep-Bottom  intrench- 
ments,  the  10th  moved  over  Four-Mile  Creek  to  Strawberry 
Plains,  near  Haxall's  Landing,  on  the  morning  of  July  26, 
to  assist  the  llth  Maine  in  retaking  a  line  of  rebel  rifle- 
pits  on  the  Malvern-Hill  Road,  captured  some  days  before 
by  the  latter  regiment,  and  yielded  again  by  a  portion  of 
the  19th  Corps.  Then  followed  a  day  of  sharp  skir- 
mishing ;  the  rebels  contesting  obstinately  every  foot  of 
ground,  yet  gradually  falling  back.  In  the  forenoon,  while 
the  fight  was  opening,  and  the  10th  had  not  yet  advanced 
to  the  extreme  front,  Camp  wrote,  — 


SKIRMISHING.  253 

"  The  regiment  has  stacked  arms  by  the  roadside  where 
the  shaded  path  winds  pleasantly  up  from  the  river-bank. 
Headquarters  are  under  a  large  tree  just  in  the  rear  of  the 
line.  Henry  and  I,  who  always  carry  writing  materials 
in  a  little  haversack  which  we  keep  by  us,  are  writing  our 
letters  in  the  interval  of  rest.  The  gunboats  are  firing  over 
our  heads  at  the  rebels  in  front ;  and  each  explosion,  so 
near  are  we  to  the  muzzles  of  the  guns,  makes  one  feel  as 
if  both  ears  were  being  boxed  with  sledge-hammers,  and 
the  top  of  his  head  flattened  with  a  pile-driver.  Field- 
pieces  are  being  rapidly  worked  at  the  top  of  the  bank 
above  us,  and  the  reports  are  almost  incessant.  As  I 
write,  one  of  our  men  is  being  carried  past,  wounded  in 
the  arm  by  the  premature  explosion  of  a  shell.  Henry  has 
left  his  writing  to  attend  to  him.  He  was  one  of  a  detach- 
ment stationed  at  a  redan  in  front  of  our  halting-place.  It 
is  said  the  gunboats  are  using  some  captured  rebel  ammu- 
nition which  doesn't  fit  the  guns.  Ten  minutes  ago,  a 
poor  fellow  was  carried  by  on  a  stretcher  with  his  foot  torn 
completely  off  by  a  shell  which  burst  short  of  its  mark,  and 
killed  instantly  one  of  his  companions.  How  much  of  this 
artillery  blundering  we  have  seen  !  Some  one  ought  to  be 
tried  and  shot  for  it.  Henry  returns,  saying  that  our  man 
has  only  received  a  slight  flesh-wound.  He  was  lying 
down  behind  the  breastworks,  and  thought  that  there  cer- 
tainly he  was  safe.  We  are  coming  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  only  place  where  one  is  really  out  of  danger  is  at  the 


254  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

extreme  front.  They  are  firing  now  so  directly  above  our 
heads  that  I  have  to  stop,  and  brush  from  my  paper  the 
leaves  and  twigs  cut  off  by  the  shot,  and  falling  about  us 
in  showers.  Hope  they  have  good  ammunition  on  that 
boat,  —  no  short  fuzes,  —  and  that  they  won't  drop  any 
very  large  branches  on  us." 

The  sun  and  the  fire,  both  artillery  and  musketry,  were 
very  hot  that  day.  Many  a  brave  soldier  fell  never  to  rise 
again,  or  was  carried  to  the  rear  maimed  for  life.  It  was 
a  trying  day.  When  evening  came,  the  handful  of  men 
from  General  Foster's  command  held  a  salient  angle  in 
the  woods,  running  into  the  enemy's  position  of  the  morn- 
ing, where  they  were  fronted  and  flanked  by  a  largely  su- 
perior force.  The  picket-posts  were  for  a  portion  of  the 
way  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other ;  so  that  even  a  heav- 
ily drawn  breath  could  be  heard  across  the  lines,  and  con- 
versation in  an  ordinary  tone  was  distinctly  audible.  Gen- 
eral Grant  had  telegraphed,  just  before  night,  to  hold  every 
inch  that  had  been  gained,  promising  help  before  morning. 
The  pickets  of  the  10th  lay  concealed  in  the  low  under- 
brush. If  they  discovered  themselves  by  the  crackling  of  a 
twig,  they  were  liable  to  be  silenced  by  a  shot  from  just 
in  their  front ;  and  the  preparations  for  the  morning,  which 
they  could  hear  the  enemy  making,  were  any  thing  but  en- 
couraging. Artillery  was  brought  down,  and  so  planted 
that  they  could  almost  have  looked  into  the  gun-muzzles ; 
while  a  single  discharge  of  grape  from  the  battery  could 


STRAWBERRY  PLAINS.  255 

sweep  them  away  like  chaff  from  the  enfiladed  picket-line. 
They  could  hear  the  braggart  threats  of  annihilation  of  the 
venturesome  Yankees  when  the  daylight  came,  and  they  re- 
alized their  danger ;  yet  all  who  were  unwounded  remained 
firm  and  true.  Adjutant  Camp  crept  along  that  entire 
line,  conveying  orders,  at  imminent  risk  not  only  of  being 
shot  but  of  passing  within  the  enemy's  lines ;  the  latter 
being  nearer  to  some  posts  than  the  next  vedette,  and  the 
way  found  only  with  greatest  difficulty  in  the  gathering 
darkness. 

A  pleasant  incident  to  Camp  of  that  evening  was  the 
meeting  of  a  college  classmate,  Wiswell,  a  captain  of 
the  llth  Maine,  who  had  recently  returned  to  his  regiment 
after  an  absence  of  some  months,  and  been  all  that  day  in 
the  skirmish-line.  Glad  always  to  meet  a  college  compan- 
ion, Camp  especially  delighted  to  find  one  a  comrade  in 
arms. 

There  was  not  much  sleeping  that  night  among  officers  or 
men  of  the  10th,  — only  an  anxious  waiting  for  the  morn- 
ing whose  sun  must  rise  in  blood.  Word  was  received 
that  the  pontoon-bridge  was  being  deadened  with  straw 
that  a  moving  column  might  pass  it  noiselessly,  and  that  a 
large  force  of  cavalry  was  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river. 
About  daylight  the  2d  Corps  crossed  over  from  Jones's 
Landing,  having  marched  hurriedly  from  Petersburg.  Gen- 
erals Hancock  and  Sheridan  were  present  with  their  com- 
mands. Then,  in  the  words  of  Camp,  — 


256  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

' '  Soon  after  sunrise  the  advance  of  our  forces  com- 
menced. From  our  station  at  the  picket-reserve,  we  had 
a  capital  view  of  all  that  was  done.  A  column  of  men 
moved  forward  across  the  plain  on  our  right ;  the  pickets 
of  the  enemy  fell  back  as  they  approached,  and  they 
descended  into  the  valley  without  serious  opposition. 
Here,  sheltered  by  the  rise  of  ground  before  them  from 
fire,  they  formed  an  open  skirmish-line,  each  man  with 
room  to  act  independently,  and  moved  up  the  slope.  We 
watched  them  with  intent  eagerness.  As  they  rose  to  the 
level  beyond,  a  sharp  volley  greeted  them ;  and  instantly 
the  air  was  white  and  the  hillside  dotted  with  puffs  of 
smoke  as  each  man  baited  for  an  instant  where  he  stood, 
fired,  and  moved  on,  loading  for  another  discharge.  There 
is  one  poor  fellow  down  !  and  an  officer,  a  surgeon  perhaps, 
bending  over  him.  There  are  half  a  dozen  more  ! — not 
all  of  them  wounded,  however  :  they  are  lying  flat  for  cover, 
and  we  can  see  them,  loading  and  firing  industriously. 
There  are  two  or  three  mounted  officers  —  one  of  them  with 
a  straw  hat — cantering  about  among  the  men.  That  looks 
to  us  like  recklessness.  We  are  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
officers  go  into  a  fight  dismounted;  but  we  can't  help 
admiring  their  pluck. 

"  Now  most  of  the  line  has  disappeared  behind  the  crest 
of  the  hill  which  slopes  down  toward  the  rebel  works  just 
beyond ;  and  we  can  judge  only  from  the  rapid  rifle-cracks 
that  lhe  fight  is  being  hotly  contested.  By  this  time  they 


STRAWBERRY  PLAINS.  257 

must  bo  up  to  the  works.  But  what  does  this  mean? 
There  are  men  moving  the  wrong  way;  there  come  two  or 
three  on  the  run,  and  twenty  follow  them.  Is  it  a  panic? 
No  :  the  men  halt  as  soon  as  they  have  gained  the  partial 
shelter  of  the  slope,  and  open  fire  again.  It  is  plain  that 
the  first  attack  has  failed ;  but  they  don't  mean  to  give  it 
up  yet.  They  are  all  on  this  side  of  the  crest  now,  in 
plain  sight;  and  their  officers  are  urging  them  on  for 
another  rush.  A  good  deal  of  the  dash  has  been  taken 
out  of  them,  however,  by  that  unsuccessful  attempt;  and 
they  don't  like  to  go  beyond  the  slope. 

"  The  horseman  with  the  straw  hat  gallops  to  and  fro, 
waving  his  sword,  pointing  to  the  front,  pressing  them  to 
come  up  once  more.  Some  are  ready  to  try  it.  The  color- 
bearer  rushes  forward,  stands  on  the  highest  point  of  ground 
where  the  bullets  must  be  flying  like  hail,  turns,  and  waves 
his  colors  to  those  behind.  We  can  hardly  help  cheering 
the  brave  fellow,  and  that  noble  rider  who  is  in  front  of 
all,  dashing  on,  and  calling  them  to  follow.  We  expect 
every  moment  to  see  him  go  down,  and  strain  our  eyes 
with  eager  watching.  How  can  men  help  following  him  ? 
But  no  :  too  many  hold  back  ;  and  those  who  are  willing 
are  discouraged,  and  give  way  too.  Yet  the  straw-hat  man 
won't  give  it  up  so.  If  it  can't  be  done  in  one  way,  per- 
haps it  can  in  another.  He'll  try  flanking  them.  There 
is  a  little  depression  in  the  ground  on  the  right.  He  plants 
the  colors  in  a  sheltered  spot,  forms  line  there,  and  moves 
17 


258  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

off  in  this  direction,  approaching  obliquely  the  rebel  works  ; 
and  his  men,  ready  for  any  thing  except  that  in  which 
they  have  just  failed,  start'  after  him  with  a  rush.  They 
are  speedily  out  of  sight. 

"  Again  comes  the  sound  of  sharp  musketry;  but  this 
time  there  is  no  falling  back :  it  grows  more  and  more 
distant,  and  before  long  we  hear  that  the  works  are  taken 
and  four  Parrott  guns  with  them.  Our  own  men  deserve 
part  of  the  credit,  though  they  won't  be  likely  to  get  it. 
That  part  of  the  picket-line  which  was  nearest  opened  an 
effective  fire  upon  the  enemy,  and,  beside  the  loss  which 
they  inflicted,  made  the  Richmond  Road  so  hot,  that  horses 
couldn't  be  brought  down  to  withdraw  the  artillery  before 
the  works  were  abandoned. 

"  We  met  the  officer  in  the  straw  hat  within  the  works. 
Henry  talked  with  him,  and  learned  that  he  was  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  183d  Pennsylvania,  commanding  a  brigade 
in  Barlow's  Division  of  Hancock's  Corps, — a  very  fine- 
looking  fellow,  and  modest  as  he  was  brave.  His  name 
was  Lynch.  His  hat  had  been  pierced  by  a  bullet,  and 
his  horse  shot  under  him  ;  but  he  had  come  out  without  a 
scratch.  A  lieutenant-colonel  commanding  a  brigade ! 
Think  how  the  corps  must  have  been  cut  up  !  " 

The  10th  returned  to  its  camp  at  Deep  Bottom,  and 
resumed  picket-duty,  with  an  occasional  demonstration 
against  the  enemy,  or  the  meeting  of  an  attack  on  its  line. 
An  affair  of  the  latter  kind  Camp  thus  described  :  — 


SKIRMISHING.  259 

"A  week  ago  Monday  (August  1),  we  were  out  on 
picket.  The  day  had  passed  quietly.  Henry,  seldom 
absent  at  any  time,  and  least  of  all  when  the  regiment  is  at 
the  front,  had  been  called  away  by  business  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  It  was  almost  time  for  us  to  be  relieved, 
—  late  in  the  afternoon,  —  when  several  shots  were  sud- 
denly fired  upon  the  line  in  front.  They  did  not  start  us ; 
but,  when  half  a  dozen  more  came  in  rapid  succession, 
Captain  Goodyear,  who  was  in  command,  ordered  the 
reserve  to  stand  to  arms.  A  messenger  came ;  the  enemy 
were  advancing.  "We  marched  immediately  to  the  point 
of  attack,  and  re-enforced  the  picket-line  with  the  reserve 
deployed  as  skirmishers.  Quite  a  brisk  little  fight  followed, 
Indian  fashion,  —  every  one,  except  officers,  to  his  tree, 
covering  himself,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  similarly 
protected  enemy,  and  firing  whenever  he  caught  a  glimpse 
of  a  gray  jacket. 

"  Twice  the  rebels  attempted  to  charge,  setting  up  a 
feeble  yell,  which  was  rather  encouraging  from  its  lack  of 
force  than  disheartening.  Finding  these  Chinese  tactics 
unavailing,  our  men  firmly  holding  their  ground,  they 
finally  retired.  Then  came  the  turn  of  our  boys ;  and  the 
complimentary  yells,  the  hoots,  and  the  cock-crowing 
which  followed  them  as  they  gave  way  and  left  the  ground, 
must  have  been  soothing  enough.  What  their  loss  was 
we  could  not  determine  :  ours  was  three  men  wounded, — 
one  mortally,  dying  the  next  day ;  another  severely,  but 


260  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

not  dangerously.  The  bullet  which  struck  the  third  was 
checked  in  its  progress  by  passing  through  a  stout  tin  cup 
and  a  haversack  well  filled  with  hard-tack,  —  almost  bullet- 
proof,—  and  inflicted  only  a  slight  wound.  Henry  was 
on  hand  before  the  affair  was  fairly  over,  having  heard  the 
firing  on  his  way  back,  and  run  his  horse  all  the  rest  of  the 
distance.  The  boys  chuckled  over  his  appearance,  believing 
that,  if  he  had  been  twenty  miles  further  off.  it  would  have 
made  no  difference.  Whether  I  was  glad  to  see  him,  and 
he  me,  I  needn't  say." 

Camp  gave  the  following  thrilling  sketch  of  the  first 
military  execution  which  he  witnessed,  occurring  Aug.  8, 
at  Deep  Bottom. 

"  A  singular  incident  took  place  on  our  picket-line  a 
short  time  since.  A  deserter  who  came  in  at  the  Grover 
House  was  recognized  by  the  24th  Massachusetts  men, 
who  were  on  duty  there,  as  one  of  their  old  comrades,  who 
had  deserted  to  the  enemy  two  years  ago,  while  the  regi- 
ment was  at  Newberne.  Tired  of  the  rebel  service,  and  en- 
couraged by  former  success  in  shifting  sides,  he  had  again 
run  the  lines,  and  thought,  on  reaching  our  posts,  that  his 
danger  was  over,  little  suspecting,  until  it  was  too  late,  that 
be  had  walked  straight  into  his  old  regiment.  Had  he 
entered  from  any  other  point  of  the  whole  rebel  territory, 
had  he  made  the  attempt  on  any  other  day  than  the  one 
on  which  the  24th  guarded  the  line,  or,  even  then,  had  not 
a  Mttle  drummer-boy  accidentally  present,  who  was  a  mem- 


A    DESERTER.  261 

bcr  of  the  same  company  to  which  he  had  belonged,  re- 
membered him,  he  would  have  escaped  without  recognition. 
Humanly  speaking,  his  chances  were  a  thousand  to  one  • 
for  safety,  after  having  once  passed  the  rebel  vedettes. 

"He  was,  of  course,  held.  Charges  were  preferred 
against  him,  he  was  tried,  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  be 
shot  in  presence  of  the  brigade  to  which  he  had  been  at- 
tached while  in  our  service.  The  orders  were  received  on 
Sunday  last.  Colonel  Osborn  of  the  24th  was  charged 
with  their  execution.  He  sent  for  Henry  to  talk  with  the 
man,  —  a  hardened  desperado,  at  first  reckless,  defiant, 
professing  utter  carelessness  as  to  his  future,  either  in  this 
world  or  the  nest.  .  .  .  Softened  at  length,  he  acknowl- 
edged his  anxiety  and  fear,  sobbed,  broke  down  utterly, 
and  desired  that  prayer  should  be  made  for  him.  The 
execution  was  to  take  place  at  four  P.M.,  on  Monday.  The 
condemned  man  was  a  Catholic ;  and  a  priest  had  been  sent 
for  on  Sunday  night,  Henry  preferring,  of  course,  that  the 
man's  wishes  should  be  consulted  in  such  a  matter;  but  it 
was  doubtful  whether  one  could  be  found  and  brought  to 
the  place  in  time.  He  arrived,  however,  before  daylight ; 
and  Henry  was  spared  the  exceedingly  trying  duties  which 
had  seemed  likely  to  devolve  upon  him. 

"  At  half-past  three  in  the  afternoon,  the  regiments  of 
the  brigade  were  formed,  each  upon  its  own  parade-ground, 
and  then  marched  to  a  wide  open  plain,  bounded  on  one 
tide  by  a  gentle  slope.  Here  they  were  formed  in  three 


262  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

sides  of  a  hollow  square,  —  the  fourth  being  the  vacant 
hill-side :  there  was  a  newly  dug  grave,  with  the  fresh 
earth  heaped  beside  it.  The  proceedings  of  the  court- 
martial,  and  the  order  for  the  execution  were  now  read  to 
each  regiment ;  I,  of  course,  performing  the  duty  for  our 
own.  Meantime  a  small  column  was  slowly  approaching 
the  place.  In  the  center  was  a  wagon  containing  the  pris- 
oner, securely  fettered.  The  priest  rode  with  him.  A 
strong  guard  marched  in  front  and  rear.  At  their  head, 
a  band  played  plaintive  funeral  music,  swelling  solemnly 
above  a  heavy  undertone  of  muffled  drums.  In  the  dis- 
tance, they  hardly  seemed  to  move ;  and  the  sound  of  the 
dead-march  came  softly  to  our  ears.  At  length  they  drew 
near,  approaching  with  slow  measured  tread  ;  the  drum-beat 
was  a  deep  subdued  roll  of  thunder,  the  notes  of  the  wind 
instruments  were  a  piercing  wail  as  they  passed  before  us 
and  halted  opposite  the  grave.  Then  all  was  silence. 
Every  eye  was  turned  toward  one  spot,  every  ear  atten- 
tive. But  for  the  impatient  stamping  of  officers'  horses 
and  those  of  the  cavalry  squadron  drawn  up  on  the  hill- 
side, there  was  hardly  more  sound  than  if  the  place  was 
the  same  solitary  field  it  had  been  before  armies  encamped 
and  marched  upon  Virginia  soil. 

"  The  prisoner  left  the  wagon ;  he  seemed  to  step  firmly 
and  boldly  upon  the  ground  ;  but  we  were  too  distant  to 
see  the  expression  which  his  face  wore.  The  priest  was  by 
his  side.  They  knelt  by  the  grave,  and  prayer  was  offered, 


AN   EXECUTION.  263 

inaudible  to  any  but  the  condemned.  Then  a  platoon  of 
twelve  men,  led  by  an  officer,  marched  out,  halted  a  few 
paces  in  front  of  the  spot,  and  faced  toward  it.  The  officer 
advanced,  and  read  to  the  prisoner  the  proceedings  of  the 
court  and  its  sentence,  —  a  cruel  formality  it  seemed,  a 
needless  lengthening  of  the  terrible  suspense.  Did  the 
prisoner  wait  with  nervous  impatience,  as  we  did,  for  the 
worst  to  come?  or  did  he  wish  each  sentence  was  a  volume, 
that  he  might  cling  a  little  longer  to  life  ? 

"The  reading  was  finished,  a  broad  white  bandage 
was  bound  about  his  eyes ;  and,  with  arms  firmly  pinioned 
behind  his  back,  he  was  made  to  kneel  upon  the  coffin  of 
unpainted  pine  which  had  been  placed  before  the  grave. 
Then  for  the  first  time  the  guard  left  his  side,  and  all  fell 
back  who  had  stood  around  him.  There  was  a  hush,  in 
comparison  with  which  the  former  silence  had  been 
tumult. 

"  The  officer  in  command  of  the  firing  party  waved  his 
sword  :  each  piece  was  brought  to  a  '  ready.'  Again,  and 
they  were  levelled  in  aim.  The  third  time,  and  a  quick 
sharp  volley  sounded  through  a  cloud  of  smoke.  The  blind- 
fold, pinioned  form  tottered  for  a  moment ;  then  bent  for- 
ward, and  pitched  heavily  to  the  ground.  There  was  a 
long  breath  of  relief  drawn  by  each  who  looked  on,  —  it 
was  over,  was  it  ?  There  might  yet  be  a  doubt.  The 
officers  stepped  forward  with  a  surgeon  to  examine  the  body, 
which  lay  prone  and  motionless  in  its  suit  of  rebel  gray. 


264  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

The  lungs  still  feebly  expanded,  and  a  low  moan  seemed 
to  issue  from  them.  Mere  mechanical  action,  the  surgeon 
thought ;  but  a  platoon  which  had  been  held  in  reserve  was 
speedily  ordered  up,  a  second  volley  fired,  and  life  at 
length  was  pronounced  utterly  extinct.  Then  the  whole 
force  was  wheeled  into  column,  and  marched  slowly  past 
the  corpse,  a  gory,  ghastly  sight,  lying  where  it  fell,  pierced 
with  twenty  bullets. 

"  We  returned  to  camp  late  in  the  afternoon.  The 
scene  had  been  one  of  the  most  impressive  we  had  ever 
witnessed;  and  its  effect  upon  the  men,  I  think,  just  what 
it  was  designed  to  be.  We  had  never  before  been  present 
at  a  military  execution ;  and  the  death-penalty,  so  common 
in  the  sentences  of  courts-martial,  so  seldom  hitherto  car- 
ried into  effect,  bad  ceased,  in  a  measure,  to  possess  signifi- 
cance. The  case  was  an  aggravated  one,  and  well  deserved 
capital  punishment,  —  not  merely  desertion,  but  desertion 
to  the  enemy,  and  long  service  against  his  comrades.  The 
man  claimed  never  to  have  been  in  action,  but  was  for  somo 
months  on  guard  at  the  Libby.  Henry  questioned  him  as 
to  the  time :  it  was  between  the  periods  of  our  visits  to 
Richmond,  but  including  neither.  Twenty  bullets  I  said 
at  random  :  there  ought  to  have  been  twenty.  I  have 
learned  since  that  there  were  but  thirteen,  —  five  of  the 
first  volley,  eight  of  the  second  ;  twenty-two  in  all  being 
fired.  There  were  twenty-four  men ;  but,  on  all  such  occa- 
sions, one  in  each  platoon  has  a  blank  cartridge ;  none 


A     WEEK    OF   FIGHTING.  265 

but  the  officer  knowing  which  it  is.  Any,  therefore,  who 
may  shrink  from  the  feeling  that  he  has  done  executioner's 
duty,  and  has  blood  other  than  that  of  an  enemy  upon  his 
hands,  is  at  liberty  to  believe,  if  he  chooses,  that  his  was 
not  the  fatal  shot.  Does  it  seem  strange  to  find  among 
soldiers  such  horror  of  blood,  and  such  considerate  regard 
for  the  feelings?  Just  the  place  to  look  for  both!" 


Sabbath  morning,  August  14,  opened  a  week  of  hard 
fighting  for  the  armies  of  the  Potomac  and  the  James. 
The  latter  moved  toward  Richmond  from  Deep  Bottom 
to  enable  the  former  to  establish  itself  on  the  Wcldon 
Road.  General  Terry's  division  did  most  of  the  fighting 
north  of  the  James  ;  General  Foster's  brigade  losing  in 
the  week  fully  one-third  of  its  entire  available  force  >  the 
other  brigades  suffering  also  severely. 

Camp  thus  describes  the  opening,  and  some  of  the  later 
incidents,  of  the  week's  operations :  — 

"  Last  Saturday,  we  had  orders  to  be  ready  for  a  move. 
Those  who  pretended  to  have  any  opinion  on  the  subject 
talked  of  Washington,  the  Shenandoah,  or  Weldon.  We 
packed,  and  went  to  bed  late  and  tired.  At  four  o'clock, 
A.M.  (Sunday),  came  orders  to  fall  in  at  once  (there  was 
great  haste),  and  march  to  the  picket-line.  Half-way 
there,  an  order  to  double-quick ;  within  five  minutes,  the 
same  again.  At  the  front,  General  Foster  was  waiting  for 
us  ;  his  orders  had  been  to  attack  at  daylight.  We  must 


266  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

move  forward  at  once,  —  not  precisely  like  a  trip  to  Wash- 
ington ! 

"We  formed  line,  threw  out  skirmishers,  and  advanced, 
connecting  with  other  regiments  on  the  right  and  left.  A 
very  few  minutes,  and  the  fight  was  brisk.  The  main 
body  of  the  regiment  was  halted,  and  the  men  lay  down ; 
while  officers  moved  up  and  down  the  line ;  skirmishers 
dodged  from  tree  to  tree,  and  bullets  pattered  fast  in  all 
directions.  Henry  and  I  had  on  straw  hats,  unsuited  for 
a  fight,  though  well  adapted  for  a  journey  toward  the  She- 
nandoah ;  and  Henry  secured  caps,  first  for  me,  and  after- 
ward for  himself,  —  one  belonging  to  one  of  our  wounded 
men,  the  other  to  one  just  shot  dead.  A  hat  was  better 
for  the  first ;  none  the  worse  for  the  second. 

"  Going  down  the  line,  I  stopped  to  deliver  an  order  to 
Lieutenant  Sharp.  We  stood  for  a  moment  talking;  and 
I  had  hardly  turned  away  when  a  bullet  passed  through 
his  head  just  behind  the  eyes.  Officers  went  down  fast. 
Captain  Quinn  had  charge  of  the  skirmishers.  Two  of 
his  men,  stepping  in  succession  behind  a  large  tree  which 
seemed  to  offer  excellent  shelter,  fell,  —  one  dead,  the 
other  severely  wounded.  He  moved  forward  to  the  same 
place,  and  was  instantly  shot  dead ;  all  three  within  two 
minutes.  It  was  some  time  before  his  body  could  be  re- 
covered. Captain  Webb  was  wounded,  and  carried  back; 
and  presently  we  saw  two  men  helping  Lieutenant  Brown 
to  the  rear  with  a  bullet  through  his  leg.  A  moment 


A  CHARGE.  267 

after  I  left  Sharp,  I  came  upon  one  of  our  men -lying  on 
the  ground  with  the  blood  pouring  from  a  wound  in  the 
shoulder.  Asking  his  name  of  those  who  stood  by,  I  was 
told  it  was  Dwyer,  of  Company  F.  He  looked  up  as  I 
inquired.  '  I'm  a  dead  man,  adjutant.'  —  '  I  hope  not,' 
said  I ;  but  he  knew  too  well :  he  did  not  live  to  be 
carried  from  the  field. 

"There  was  a  yell  from  the  rebels  in  front;  a  louder 
crash  of  musketry.  Our  skirmishers  stood  fast,  and  drove 
back  the  advancing  enemy ;  but,  on  our  left,  men  came 
pouring  back  in  panic.  We  helped  their  officers  to  rally 
them  ;  the  rebels  dared  not  follow  them  up  ;  the  line  was 
re-established,  and  the  fight  went  on  as  before.  This  had 
lasted  more  than  an  hour  when  the  24th  Massachusetts, 
which  had  been  held  in  reserve,  came  marching  up  in 
double  column :  they  were  to  charge  through  the  dense 
wood  upon  the  rifle-pits  beyond.  We  had  orders  to  fol- 
low, and  support  them.  They  moved  forward  splendidly, 
with  well-closed  lines  and  steady  step ;  they  passed  us  a 
few  rods,  and  the  undergrowth  hid  them  from  sight.  We 
came  after  in  lino  of  battle.  Not  very  sleepy  work,  such 
an  advance  as  that. 

"  Two  or  three  minutes  passed ;  the  same  irregular  fire 
in  front,  and,  with  a  long  tremendous  cheer,  the  24th 
made  their  rush.  Our  boys  needed  no  orders;  a  shout 
burst  from  every  throat,  and  the  whole  line  dashed  on. 
But,  instead  of  the  fierce  volleys  we  expected  to  meet, 


268  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

there,  on  reaching  open  ground,  was  the  line  of  works 
deserted.  The  yell  and  the  charge  had  been  too  much 
for  the  nerves  of  our  friends  in  gray ;  and,  almost  without 
another  shot,  they  had  turned,  and  made  the  best  of  their 
way  to  the  rear.  It  was  a  strong  position,  and  an  attack- 
ing force  might  have  been  made  to  suffer  fearful  loss. 
The  24th  took  twenty  or  thirty  prisoners,  —  as  contented 
and  happy  a  looking  set  of  fellows  as  they  marched  off  as 
I  ever  saw.  No  wonder  !  " 

After  a  brief  rest,  the  10th  was  ordered  to  a  new  posi- 
tion ;  and  the  day  was  passed  in  marching  and  counter- 
marching, and  covering  by  skirmish-line  the  movements  of 
other  commands.  In  the  evening,  during  a  severe  storm, 
the  regiment  moved  over  to  Strawberry  Plains,  —  where 
it  had  aided  in  the  capture  of  the  Parrott  guns  a  few  weeks 
before,  —  and  there  halted  until  daylight.  Monday  was 
intensely  hot.  The  march  up  the  New-Market  Road  was 
exhausting ;  men  by  the  score  fell  smitten  with  sun- 
stroke. The  only  rest  secured  to  the  3d  Brigade  was  dur- 
ing the  afternoon  under  a  sharp  artillery-fire  near  Silver 
Hill.  The  night  again  called  for  picket-duty  on  an  ex- 
posed front.  Before  daylight  of  Tuesday,  the  troops  were 
up  and  in  line,  ready  for  a  start;  and  by  five  o'clock 
were  on  the  move. 

An  attack  on  the  enemy's  new  position  was  commenced 

about  eight  o'clock.    Camp's  narrative  thus  continues  :  — 

'A  skirmish-line  was  thrown  out  to  cover  the  advance; 


SCOUTING.  269 

but  the  woods  were  so  thick,  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
for  them  to  regulate  their  movements  as  they  should  by 
ours.  We  marched  in  line  of  battle,  changing  direction 
by  order.  They  became  separated  from  us,  and  we  from 
the  troops  upon  our  left ;  so  that  our  flank  was  swung, 
entirely  exposed,  far  to  the  front.  Colonel  Otis,  becom- 
ing anxious  at  this  state  of  affairs,  sent  me  forward  to 
find,  if  possible,  and  bring  into  position,  the  skirmishers. 
Twenty  paces  into  the  thicket,  and  the  regiment  and  I 
were  lost  to  one  another.  I  haven't  confidence  enough  in 
my  own  bump  of  locality  to  enjoy  such  exploring  expedi- 
tions as  these,  even  when  nothing  serious  or  important  is 
at  stake  ;  and,  when  I  know  that  lives  may  hang  upon  my 
moving  a  few  yards  too  far  to  the  right  or  the  left,  there  is 
nothing  in  open  battle  from  which  I  BO  much  shrink.  It 
was  a  blind  search.  I  moved  rapidly  to  where  the  line 
should  have  been  :  there  was  no  sign  of  it.  Then  for- 
ward, more  carefully,  through  thicket,  over  fallen  trees, 
across  swamps,  until  I  came  to  a  ravine.  I  halted  to 
listen  if  I  could  hear  men  anywhere  moving,  parting  the 
bushes,  or  treading  on  dry  leaves.  No  sound  :  the  woods 
were  as  quiet  and  apparently  as  tenantless  as  if  I  were 
in  the  wilderness  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

"The  ravine  would  be  a  good  line  of  defense;  the 
opposite  side  a  very  likely  position  to  meet  an  enemy. 
Yet  I  could  not  turn  back  with  no  other  report  than  that 
I  had  found  nobody  and  seen  nothing.  So  I  went  down 


270  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  bill,  crossed  the  brook  at  its  foot,  and,  with  cocked 
pistol  in  band,  moved  cautiously  tip  the  opposite  slope, 
keeping  a  sharp  eye  upon  each  tree,  each  bush,  each 
fallen  log,  that  might  cover  a  rebel  picket.  Nervous 
work.  Just  at  the  orest  was  a  little  pile  of  fresh  earth, — 
a  rifle-pit !  It  was  empty.  I  satisfied  myself  of  that  point, 
and  then  went  up  to  examine  it.  It  was  large  enough  to 
shelter  but  a  single  man,  hastily  dug,  and  apparently  not 
more  than  twenty-four  hours  old ;  undoubtedly  occupied 
the  night  before  by  one  of  their  pickets.  I  was  glad  he 
had  fallen  back  before  I  came  down  to  the  brook  opposite 
his  post. 

"I  didn't  feel  called  upon  to  go  any  further,  having 
reached  what  had  been  so  recently  the  rebel  line ;  and 
returned,  after  a  little  further  wandering,  to  the  regiment, 
reporting  what  I  had  and  had  not  seen.  Colonel  Otis 
sent  me  to  General  Foster,  who  inquired  if  I  had  been 
beyond  the  ravine,  and  on  my  explanation,  sent  word  to 
the  division-commander ;  and  a  brigade  was  ordered  to  fill 
the  gap  in  the  line. 

"  The  skirmishers,  who  had  gone  far  to  the  right,  at 
length  made  their  way  back  to  us,  and  the  regiment, 
advancing,  finally  crossed  the  same  brook  I  had  been  over, 
and  halted  in  rear  of  the  slope,  while  the  skirmishers 
ascended.  The  latter  had  hardly  reached  the  high  ground, 
when  the  enemy's  line  opened  upon  them  from  just  beyond  ; 
and  they  were  immediately  engaged  in  a  brisk  skirmish. 


PUSHING    THE   ENEMY.  271 

We  lay  down ;  Henry  and  I  sitting  together  by  a  fallen 
tree,  while  bullets  flew  fast  over  our  heads.  Not  all  over- 
head. As  Colonel  Otis  and  I  were  passing  down  toward 
the  left  to  examine  the  position,  we  came  upon  an  officer 
lying  dead  or  just  dying, — the  blood  oozing  from  a  ghastly 
wound.  Not  a  soldier  near  him  :  he  had  either  come  as 
I  came,  alone,  or  been  abandoned  by  his  men.  We, 
of  course,  could  do  nothing  for  him  then ;  but  the  colonel 
afterward  had  opportunity  to  speak  of  him  to  some  of  his 
own  regiment,  and  the  body  was  carried  away. 

"  The  officers  of  our  skirmish-line  soon  sent  back  word 
that  they  were  pushing  the  enemy;  had  already  driven 
him  from  two  lines  of  rifle-pits,  and  only  wanted  supports 
to  keep  him  going.  Two  more  companies  were  immediately 
sent,  They  had  hardly  had  time  to  reach  position,  when 
a  cheer  rang  through  the  woods  far  to  our  right,  and  came 
rolling  down  the  line.  We  knew  that  Hawley's  Brigade 
was  charging.  The  24th  took  it  up.  Our  boys  sprang 
to  their  feet,  and  joined  in  the  shout.  Colonel  Otis  gave 
the  word,  and  the  line  rushed  on,  over  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  through  the  undergrowth  where  the  skirmishing  had 
been  so  sharp,  straight  on  without  halt  or  hesitation, 
while  the  rebel  skirmishers  vanished  from  before,  until 
the  main  line  of  rifle-pits  was  reached  and  occupied.  But 
to  the  left,  where  our  skirmishers  extended  far  beyond  the 
flank,  of  the  regiment,  the  enemy  pressed  them  hard ;  and 
we  heard  they  were  beginning  to  fall  back.  Henry  and 


272  THE   KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

I  went  in  that  direction,  and,  moving  a  short  distance 
through  the  low  pines,  saw  before  us  a  few  of  our  men 
coming  in  from  the  front;  not  in  panic,  but  in  steady 
retreat.  We  jumped  forward,  and  called  to  them  to  halt 
and  stand  firm.  '  Orders  to  fall  back,  sir ! '  said  one. 
'  Boys ! '  shouted  Henry,  '  the  10th  never  falls  back  ! ' 
Ah!  there  came  a  staff-officer,  terribly  flustered,  and  on 
a  trot  toward  the  rear.  '  There  were  orders,'  said  he, 
apologetically,  seeming  to  perceive,  as  I  met  him,  that  I 
felt  something  more  than  mild  surprise.  '  They  came 
down  from  the  right.'  —  'I  am  from  the  right,'  said  I: 
'there  are  no  such  orders  there.'  He  sneaked  away;  and 
our  men,  finding  that  they  need  not  retreat,  promptly 
advanced  once  more  toward  the  front. 

"  The  regiment,  having  halted,  formed  arid  dressed  its 
ranks,  soon  moved  forward  again  to  a  position  near  the 
edge  of  a  second  and  much  larger  ravine,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  which  the  rebels  were  intrenched  in  strong  works 
curving  around  our  left ;  so  that  the  ground  held  by  our 
advance  was  swept  by  a  cross-fire  against  which  no  ordi- 
nary cover  afforded  security.  Word  came  from  the  skir- 
mish-line that  Captain  White  was  wounded  seriously,  it 
was  feared  mortally.  Henry  saw  to  his  being  carried  back 
to  the  hospital,  where  the  other  wounded  had  already  gone, 
and  to  which  he  was  himself  summoned,  a  few  minutes 
later,  by  a  message  from  one  of  them.  ...  In  a  short 
time  Henry  returned  :  how  glad  we  were  to  meet  in  safety  j 


SKIRMISHING.  273 

With  thoughtful  kindness,  he  brought  for  us  a  huge  water- 
melon. It  was  speedily  cut  and  divided ;  General  Fos- 
ter very  glad  to  get  his  share.  What  could  have  been 
more  refreshing  under  fire  ?  Before  it  was  finished,  orders 
were  given  for  our  regiment  to  swing  around,  fronting  the 
left,  and  covering  the  flank,  upon  which  an  attack  was 
momentarily  expected.  It  was  comical  enough  to  see 
officers  forming  their  men,  enforcing  their  orders  with 
brandished  slices  of  melon,  and  taking  a  bite  between  each 
command. 

"  The  remainder  of  the  day  was  occupied  with  continual 
skirmishing ;  the  main  body  being  so  near  the  advance  as 
to  get  the  benefit  of  the  fire  from  the  enemy.  Officers  and 
men  sheltered  themselves  as  well  as  possible.  .  .  .  Men 
fell  near  us,  both  in  the  regimental  line  and  among  the 
skirmishers;  but  our  loss  was  slight  in  comparison  with 
that  of  the  morning's  advance.  There  was  rain  during 
the  afternoon ;  but  we  were  not  in  the  mood  to  be  greatly 
concerned  about  a  wetting.  At  dusk  we  retired  a  few 
rods  to  the  rifle-pits  we  had  captured  in  the  morning,  —  a 
much  more  defensible  position  than  that  we  had  occupied 
during  the  day,  —  and  commenced  at  once  throwing  up  a 
line  of  works  fronting  toward  the  enemy.  Large  details 
from  each  regiment  were  set  at  work  chopping  and  shovel- 
ing ;  and  by  two  in  the  morning  a  strong  breastwork,  three 
or  four  feet  thick  at  the  top,  and  covered  on  the  inside  with 
well-braced  logs,  covered  the  front  of  the  whole  brigade. 

18 


274  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

We  should  have  been  glad  of  sleep  after  such  a  day  as  had 
passed,  but  we  contented  ourselves  with  a  morning  nap ; 
and  slept  all  the  more  soundly  for  knowing  that  we  were 
ready  in  case  of  an  attack. 

"  Our  loss  during  the  day  had  been  less  in  officers,  but 
greater  in  men,  than  on  Monday.  Captain  White  was 
one  of  the  finest  officers  in  the  regiment.  We  hear  now 
that  his  situation  is  exceedingly  critical ;  [he  died  in  hos- 
pital.] Colonel  Otis  and  Lieutenant  Savage  were  each 
hit,  but  not  severely  enough  to  take  them  from  the  field. 
It  was  the  third  bullet  or  shell  contusion,  not  drawing 
blood,  which  the  colonel  has  received  in  battle,  —  singular, 
isn't  it  ?  Wounds  of  this  sort  are  sometimes  quite  painful 
and  troublesome  for  weeks  or  even  months. 

"  Poor  Dennis  Mahoney  was  shot  through  the  body  early 
in  the  day.  It  was  he  who  sent  for  Henry  to  come  to  the 
hospital  and  see  him.  He  was  the  ideal  of  a  private 
soldier.  Tall  and  fine-looking ;  always  neat  and  soldierly 
in  dress  and  equipments ;  always  cheerful  and  prompt  in 
duty ;  brave,  to  recklessness ;  never  missing  a  chance  to 
volunteer  for  an  expedition,  a  scout,  or  any  service  of 
danger ;  full  of  fun  and  dash  and  spirit,  —  it  would  have 
been  difficult  to  match  him  in  the  regiment.  .  .  . 

"  I  was  reported  killed  myself,  and  talked  next  day 
with  those  who  had  not  only  been  told  by  men  of  our 
regiment  that  I  had  fallen,  but  who  had  themselves  seen 
and  recognized  my  body  as  it  lay  upon  the  field,  —  so 


FALLING  BACK.  275 

they  certainly  thought.  I  am  glad  to  believe  the  story 
couldn't  well  reach  you." 

The  hastily  erected  breast-works  were  held  for  forty- 
eight  hours ;  one  or  two  attempts  being  made  by  the  enemy, 
meantime,  at  different  points,  to  break  the  line.  Thurs- 
day noon  there  were  indications  of  a  contemplated  with- 
drawal of  the  Union  troops. 

"The  movement  which  we  expected,"  wrote  Camp, 
"  commenced  late  in  the  afternoon;  the  troops  on  the  right 
retiring  first,  and  so,  brigade  after  brigade,  down  the  line. 
The  time  for  us  to  march  had  not  yet  come.  Hawley's 
Brigade  was  passing,  when  a  sharp  fire  opened  a  little  to 
our  right,  and  speedily  became  general  along  the  whole 
picket-line.  The  enemy  had  evidently  discovered  that  we 
were  moving,  and  meant  to  take  advantage  of  it.  Hawley's 
men  were  hurried  back  just  in  time ;  for  the  rebels  came 
on  with  a  rush  and  a  yell.  All  along  our  front,  the 
woods  rang  with  their  shouts  and  the  rapid  reports  of 
musketry ;  while  the  pickets,  pressed  back  by  numbers, 
came  hurrying  in,  climbing  over  the  works,  and  somewhat 
inclined,  part  of  them,  to  continue  their  movement  toward 
the  rear. 

"  Hardly  waiting  for  all  of  these  to  come  in,  two  regi- 
ments near  us  now  opened  fire.  The  whole  line  of  works 
was  ablaze  with  rifle-flashes,  and  the  sound  was  one  con- 
tinuous roar.  Our  regiment  was  in  reserve,  deployed  in 
long  open  line,  ten  or  fifteen  yards  behind  the  others,  and  de- 


276  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

prived,  of  course,  in  great  measure,  of  the  shelter  afforded 
by  the  works.  There  was  already  some  unsteadiness 
among  those  who  were  firing,  when  our  own  artillery 
opened  from  a  position  some  distance  to  the  rear,  intend- 
ing to  fire  over  our  heads,  but  dropping  almost  every  shell 
with  horrible  precision  directly  among  us.  Henry  was 
standing  a  few  yards  from  me,  when  one  of  them  exploded 
in  his  very  face,  seemingly  but  a  few  inches  above  and  be- 
fore him,  knocking  him  down,  blinded  and  almost  stunned, 
by  the  flash  and  the  concussion.  It  was  a  spherical 
case.  The  fragments  and  the  bullets  they  had  enclosed 
tore  the  trees  and  the  ground  all  around,  —  before,  behind, 
and  on  every  side ;  but,  most  wonderfully  and  providen- 
tially, he  was  unhurt.  At  the  same  moment,  another 
exploded  among  the  men  in  front  of  our  regiment.  It  was 
more  than  they  could  stand.  A  dozen  started  for  the 
rear,  a  hundred  followed,  then  the  whole  line  broke, 
turned  back,  and  surged  away  from  the  works,  through 
our  line,  and  into  the  woods. 

"  Our  boys  sprang  forward  to  fill,  as  well  as  their  thin 
line  enabled  them  to,  the  vacancy,  and  with  cool  deter- 
mination held  the  enemy  at  bay.  The  24th  Massachusetts 
stood  firm  on  our  right,  —  New-England  Yankees,  every 
man  ;  all  this  was  like  a  flash.  As  the  break  commenced, 
our  ofiicers  rushed  among  the  fugitives,  shouted  encour- 
agement, entreated,  threatened,  seized  them,  and  flung 
them  back  to  the  front,  —  all  did  our  best  to  turn  the 


RETURN    TO    CAMP.  277 

tide.  I  haven't  worked  so  since  the  Worcester  regatta. 
We  were  in  some  degree  successful.  A  dozen  looked  on 
hesitatingly  while  our  major  flogged  an  officer,  a  six-foot 
skulker,  back  to  the  works  with  the  flat  of  his  sword,  and 
concluded  to  stay  there  themselves.  Indeed,  I  ought  to 
say  that  many  of  the  regiment  stood  fast  from  the 
first.  .  .  . 

"  Having  persuaded  the  enemy  not  to  interfere  with  us, 
the  movement  was  resumed.  Our  regiment  formed  the 
rear-guard,  as  so  often  before ;  and,  retiring  but  a  short 
distance,  established  a  new  picket-line,  behind  which  the 
rest  of  the  army  kept  on  its  way  toward  the  river.  No 
advance  was  attempted  by  the  rebels  until  morning, 
when  they  occupied,  without  resistance,  the  works  which 
we  had  abandoned.  It  was  about  three  A.M.  when  we  lay 
down. 

"A  rainy  night  was  followed  by  a  rainy  day.  Our 
pickets  had  some  sharp  exchanges  of  shots  with  the  rebel 
skirmishers.  Six  bullets  struck  the  tree  behind  which 
Sergeant  Peck,  of  Company  A,  sheltered  himself;  and  one 
or  two  of  our  men  on  advanced  posts  narrowly  escaped  cap- 
ture. At  dark  on  Friday,  our  pickets  were  all  gathered 
in ;  and  we  marched  over  roads  of  horrible  mud,  through 
the  rain,  until  we  reached,  about  midnight,  the  rest  of  the 
brigade,  again  behind  strong  works,  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  river.  Our  tired  men  stretched  themselves  upon 
the  soaked  ground.  We  had  a  little  fire  built,  and  our 


278  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

shelter-tents  stretched.  Henry  and  I,  however,  had  been, 
without  our  rubber-coats,  to  gather  in  pickets  at  dark,  and 
were  too  thoroughly  drenched  to  be  dried  in  one  night. 
So  we  lay  down,  and,  once  asleep,  it  made  no  difference. 
Saturday  was  another  quiet,  rainy  day.  We  marched  at 
dark;  reached  Strawberry  Plains;  again  established  a 
picket-line  to  cover  general  movements. 

"Establishing  a  picket-line  at  midnight,  stretching  a 
mile  or  more  from  right  to  left,  especially  if  the  weather  is 
dark  and  stormy,  is  no  joke ;  but  we  are  pretty  well  accus- 
tomed to  it  now.  A  short  sleep  and  we  were  up  again  at 
daybreak.  All  was  safe.  We  were  the  only  troops  who 
had  not  crossed  the  river.  Falling  back  in  skirmishing- 
line,  lest  the  enemy  should  attack  at  the  last  moment,  we 
assembled  on  the  river-bank  ;  marched  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  across  the  pontoon,  which  workmen  were  already 
taking  to  pieces,  and  stood  once  more  upon  the  neck  of 
land  along  which  lay  the  safe  road  to  camp.  It  was  the 
first  time  for  a  week  when  we  had  felt  secure  from  imme- 
diate attack,  —  a  pleasant  relief  from  the  continued  strain 
of  watchful  anxiety.  An  hour  more,  and  the  early  sab- 
bath morning  found  us  in  our  pleasant  old  camp,  weary 
with  a  week  of  toil  and  of  battle,  rejoicing  in  the  day  of 
quiet  and  of  rest." 

The  10th  had  taken  out  from  camp  fifteen  line-officers 
and  about  three  hundred  and  forty  men.  Its  casualties, 
during  the  week  of  absence,  were  seven  officers  and  sixty- 


MARCHING    ORDERS.  279 

five  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  three  men  taken 
prisoners. 

Of  the  twenty-four  hours  succeeding  the  return  of  his 
regiment,  Camp  wrote,  — 

"Sunday,  Aug.  21,  we  had  a  quiet  day  of  rest; 
though  there  was  too  much  to  do,  in  the  way  of  re-estab- 
lishing ourselves,  to  allow  us  to  lie  down  and  sleep,  as 
we  would  gladly  have  done.  We  looked  forward  to  the 
night,  determined  to  go  to  hed  as  soon  after  dark  as  pos- 
sible, and  sleep  a  good  ten  hours  before  rising  again. 
Henry  held  a  prayer-meeting,  unusually  interesting  and 
well-attended,  at  dusk,  in  our  large  commissary  tent ;  and 
we  returned  to  our  own  quarters.  Wouldn't  we  have  a 
good  rest  now  ?  Orders  had  arrived  to  be  ready  for  an 
immediate  march !  The  explosion  of  a  mine  under  us 
would  have  been  nothing  to  it.  Not  that  there  was  any 
burst  of  indignation,  or  any  considerable  degree  of  grum- 
bling. I  have  known  five  times  as  much  over  trifles  not 
worth  speaking  of;  but  it  seemed  to  finish  up  whatever  of 
cheerful  energy  was  left  by  the  weariness  of  the  week 
among  officers  or  men.  There  were  the  orders ;  there 
was  nothing  more  to  be  said.  We  made  our  preparations 
in  a  dogged,  mechanical  kind  of  a  way.  Henry  and  I 
took  a  bath,  —  more  refreshing  than  sleep,  —  and  lay 
down  for  a  nap  before  word  came  for  the  march.  It  ar- 
rived just  before  midnight.  Where  we  were  bound,  no  one 
knew ;  b'lt  it  was  rumored  that  we  were  to  charge  the  works 


280  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

in  front  of  our  old  position  at  Bermuda  Hundred,  —  works 
which  once  before,  when  the  enemy  had  voluntarily  aban- 
doned them,  we  could  not  hold  against  his  return  ;  works 
behind  which,  with  approaches  swept  by  cross-fire  of  artil- 
lery and  infantry,  impassable  abattis,  and  deep  ditch,  a 
brigade  might  hold  at  bay  an  army-corps.  .  .  . 

"  We  marched  silently  and  gloomily.  More  than  one 
man  fell  from  the  ranks  and  was  left  by  the  roadside;  not 
because  he  shrank  from  sharing  the  risk  of  his  comrades, 
but  because,  from  mere  exhaustion,  he  was  unable  to  go 
further.  So  we  moved  slowly  along  our  way,  until  about 
half  the  distance  was  accomplished;  then  came  orders, 
unexpected  as  the  first,  to  aboutrface,  and  marcb  back  to 
camp.  A  much  more  cheerful  and  free-spoken  set  of  men 
promptly  complied  with  them ;  and  we  reached  our  quarters 
again  about  half-past  four,  A.M. 

"  It  was  true  that  Birney  had  issued  orders  for  an 
attack  upon  those  works,  —  why  countermanded  we  do  not 
learn,  —  and  there  was  reason  to  believe  that  our  brigade 
would  have  had  the  advance  in  the  storming  party.  Our 
men,  had  they  been  led  to  the  assault,  would  have  fought 
well,  but  almost  hopelessly ;  and  a  small  part  of  us  only 
would  ever  have  left  the  field." 

In  this  expression  of  opinion,  Camp  shadowed  forth  the 
result  of  the  assault  in  which,  two  months  later,  he  lost 
his  life. 


CHAPTER    XII. 
IN    THE    PETERSBURG    TRENCHES. 

|OT  long  after  the  return  of  the  column  from 
New-Market  road  to  Deep  Bottom,  General  Fos- 
ter left  the  latter  point  to  assume  command  of 
a  division  elsewhere ;  and  the  3d  Brigade  was  again  in 
charge  of  Colonel  Plaisted  of  the  llth  Maine.  Aug. 
20,  this  brigade  was  relieved  by  the  colored  troops  of 
General  Paine,  and  left  Deep  Bottom  for  the  Petersburg 
front,  where  the  10th  Corps  was  ordered  to  relieve  the 
18th  Corps. 

"  We  had  a  tiresome  march,"  wrote  Camp  of  that  move. 
"It  is  about  as  fatiguing  to  ride  at  a  walk  for  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  as  to  march  the  same  distance  on  foot.  It  was 
cloudy  overhead,  muddy  underneath,  and,  in  the  pine 
woods,  pitchy  dark. 

"  We  reached  the  Appomattox  about  11.15,  P.M.,  and, 
after  difficulty  and  delay  in  finding  the  road  which  led 
down  to  the  pontoon,  learned  upon  reaching  it  that  we 
should  have  to  wait  for  the  passage  of  a  wagon-train. 
Meantime,  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents ;  but  we 
wrapped  our  rubber-coats  about  us,  lay  down  on  the  muddy 

281 


282  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

ground,  and  slept  soundly.  About  one  o'clock  the  road 
was  clear,  and  we  started  again.  It  is  a  long  distance 
from  one  bank  to  the  other,  the  bridge  crossing  several 
low  islands  before  high  ground  is  reached  on  the  farther 
side.  We  went  but  a  mile  or  two  beyond  ;  the  dark- 
ness, solidified  by  blinding  flashes  of  lightning,  making 
it  impossible  to  distinguish  the  road.  Our  bivouac  was 
cheerless  enough ;  though  a  tent-fly,  thrown  over  a  couple 
of  rails  which  leaned  against  a  tree,  gave  us  such  shelter 
as  few  or  none  besides  had. 

"  Saturday  morning  was  bright  and  clear,  and  we 
marched  early.  The  country  was  very  pleasant :  high, 
rolling  ground,  sloping  down  toward  the  winding  Appo- 
mattox ;  fortifications  everywhere ;  pleasant  residences  not 
a  few,  —  abandoned,  of  course,  —  beautifully  shaded  by 
huge  old  trees,  and  commanding  fine  views  of  the  river 
valley.  Petersburg  was  plainly  in  sight,  during  a  part  of 
the  march,  directly  in  front  of  us;  and,  not  more  than  two 
or  three  miles  distant,  its  streets  and  houses  distinctly  to  be 
seen.  Henry  and  I  wondered,  if,  with  a  good  glass,  we 
couldn't  have  picked  out  the  Bolingbroke  House,  where 
we  had  each  stopped  in  passing  through  the  place. 

"  About  ten  A.M.  we  reached  the  position  assigned  us, — 
the  deserted  camp  of  a  negro-regiment.  I  have  hardly 
seen  so  filthy  or  repulsive  a  spot  since  I  have  been  in  the 
army ;  every  thing  in  the  most  shocking  condition  imagi- 
nable. The  main  works  were  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile 


BEFORE   PETERSBURG.  283 

in  front  of  us,  and  on  higher  ground,  so  that  we  could 
sec  nothing  beyond.  Parallel  to  them,  where  we  were,  a 
brook  ran  through  a  shallow  valley.  It  was  this  stream 
that  rose  so  suddenly,  a  few  weeks  since,  as  to  drown 
fourteen  men  of  the  18th  Corps,  whose  place  we  had  now 
taken.  That  side  of  the  slope  nearest  the  front  was  full 
of  burrows  of  all  shapes  and  sizes ;  some  nicely  faced  with 
logs,  some  mere  rat-holes.  One  of  the  best  of  these  we 
made  headquarters ;  and  the  men  dug  and  built  for  them- 
selves strong  shelters  on  the  level  ground  in  front  of  us. 

"  Before  the  precise  spot  for  our  camp  had  been  indi- 
cated, we  halted  upon  the  plain  near  by,  and  stacked  arms 
for  dinner.  '  You  can't  stay  there,'  said  an  officer  to  us, 
'every  one  who  stops  there  is  killed.'  The  regiment 
dined  in  peace,  however,  and  was  marched  off  by  the  senior 
captain  ;  the  field  and  staff  waiting  to  finish  a  little  more  at 
leisure.  By  and  by  the  enemy's  artillery  opened.  No 
shells  came  very  near,  and  we  paid  no  special  attention  to 
them.  One,  bursting  some  rods  distant,  called  forth  a  re- 
mark ;  but  we  had  ceased  to  speak  or  think  of  it,  when,  with 
a  fierce  whiz, -down  came  a  fragment,  —  it  must  have  been 
thrown  high  in  air, — and  buried  itself  in  the  earth  about  six 
feet  from  Henry,  and  precisely  where  Colonel  Otis  had 
been  sitting  a  few  minutes  before.  We  began  to  think  the 
place  might  deserve  its  reputation  ;  but  the  firing  ceased  as 
suddenly  as  it  had  commenced,  with  no  more  close 
shots  . 


284  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"  At  dusk,  artillery  re-opened  on  both  sides.  Mortar- 
shelling  at  night  is  a  beautiful  sight.  The  burning  fuze 
of  each  projectile  marks  its  course  for  the  whole  distance 
of  its  flight.  It  rises  like  a  rocket,  moving  apparently 
only  half  as  fast,  sails  slowly  through  the  sky,  sometimes 
a  mile  above  the  earth,  at  the  highest  point  of  its  enormous 
curve,  and  descending,  one  would  think  at  a  distance,  as 
gently  as  a  snow-flake ;  but  it  strikes  the  earth  with  a 
concussion  which  shakes  the  ground  for  many  yards  on 
every  side,  and  explodes  with  a  report  like  that  of  the  mor- 
tar from  which  it  came.  One  can  see  in  the  darkness  pre- 
cisely where  it  is  coming, —  it  seems  as  if  a  good  ball-player 
wouldn't  find  it  a  difficult  catch,  —and  there  is  no  need, 
if  a  bomb-proof  is  within  a  few  rods,  of  any  one's  being 
hit  by  the  shell  before  explosion ;  but  the  fragments  fly 
in  all  directions,  and  fly  far,  striking  sometimes,  as  in  the 
case  I  mentioned,  long  after  it  seems  as  if  all  danger  must 
be  over.  None  of  our  men  were  hurt  on  Saturday  even- 
ing, though  there  were  some  narrow  escapes.  The  7th 
New  Hampshire,  a  little  distance  to  our  left,  lost  one  killed 
and  several  wounded.  The  man  who  was  killed  was 
sitting  near  the  breastwork,  watching  the  shells.  One 
came  directly  toward  him ;  those  who  stood  near  scattered, 
and  called  to  him  to  hurry  away ;  but  he  gazed  at  it  as  if 
fascinated,  —  moved  not  an  inch,  A  moment  more,  and 
the  shell  tore  him  to  fragments." 

The  weeks  passed  by  the  10th  before  Petersburg  were 


PICKET   DUTY.  285 

weeks  of  seldom  intermitted  peril.  On  the  picket-line,  in 
the  trenches,  and  in  camp,  there  was  constant  danger  of 
death.  Rifle  bullets  were  whizzing  past  or  striking  near 
one,  wherever  he  went;  and  rarely  a  day  passed  without  a 
few  hours  of  artillery-firing  from  the  enemy.  Even  when 
there  was  a  tacit  truce  on  the  immediate  front,  sharp-shoot- 
ers at  right  or  left  kept  up  their  diagonal  fire  ;  and,  during 
most  of  the  time,  active  hostilities  prevailed  along  the  entire 
line. 

The  position  of  the  10th  was  in  front  of  General  Meade's 
headquarters ;  its  picket  duty  ranging  from  the  opening  of 
the  exploded  mine  under  Cemetery  Hill  to  the  right  of  the 
Second-Corps  line,  near  the  Jerusalem  Plank  Road. 

"  Near  the  right  of  our  line,"  wrote  Camp,  of  his  first 
tour  of  picket  duty  at  Petersburg,  "  was  a  hollow,  running 
from  front  to  rear ;  and  through  this,  more  or  less,  bullets 
were  flying  during  a  large  part  of  the  day,  and  all  the  even- 
ing and  night.  One  of  our  companies  was  stationed  be- 
yond this,  and  its  position  connected  with  the  rest  by  a 
long  and  exceedingly  crooked  covered  way.  Sometimes 
for  an  hour  or  two  there  would  be  no  firing,  and  one  would 
be  tempted  to  take  the  short  cut  above  ground ;  but  a  bul- 
let was  very  apt  to  whistle  by  when  the  experiment  was 
tried ;  and  the  only  prudent  course  was  to  take  the  long 
way  round,  lest  the  other  should  prove  emphatically  a  short 
flay  home. 

"  It  was  evident  that  rebel  sharpshooters  were  watching 


286  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

this  place,  and  that  they  knew  its  every  crook  and  turn. 
The  passer  must  move  quickly,  or  his  momentary  appear- 
ance where  a  side  path  branched  off  and  left  an  opening, 
or  where  an  angle  brought  him  for  an  instant  into  sight, 
was  the  signal  for  a  bullet  too  well  aimed  to  be  called  a 
chance  shot.  Henry  and  I  convinced  ourselves  of  this 
before  we  had  been  long  at  our  new  station,  and  others  had 
the  same  experience." 

Some  of  the  incidents  of  the  artillery-fire  he  thus  de- 
scribed :  — 

"  They  are  shelling  us  again  here  in  camp  this  afternoon  ; 
making  pretty  good  practice,  too,  within  the  last  few  min- 
utes. No  one  hit  yet.  A  shell  struck  just  now  in  the 
road,  behind  a  fellow  who  was  carrying  a  pail  of  coffee.  It 
•was  amusing  to  see  the  coolness  with  which  he  slowly  turned 
round  and  took  a  good  look  at  the  spot,  then  trudged  along 
his  way,  without  having  spilled  a  drop  of  coffee,  or  been 
apparently  any  more  discomposed  than  if  a  snow-ball  had 
struck  near  him." 

And,  of  another  date  :  — 

"In  the  afternoon,  we  were  more  heavily  shelled  than 
at  any  time  before,  since  that  day  at  Bermuda  Hundred ; 
being  compelled  to  leave  our  tents  and  take  shelter  in  our 
bombproof.  The  rebel  gunners  seemed  to  have  our  range 
as  accurately  as  if  the  ground  had  been  measured  for  tar- 
get practice.  Henry,  who  was  visiting  the  men  in  their 
tents,  had  his  regular  narrow  escape, —  a  shell  bursting  close 


CASUALTIES.  287 

to  him,  and  the  fragments  striking  everywhere,  except 
where  he  stood.  The  men  begin  to  think  he  is  bomb-proof 
himself.  A  beautiful  ricochet  shot  struck  in  the  field  be- 
hind us  :  it  could  be  seen,  bounding  along  in  half  a  dozen 
successive  leaps  of  20  or  30  yards  each,  as  distinctly  as  if 
it  had  been  a  cricketrball.  Our  mess-tent  was  hit,  but  not 
a  man  in  camp  struck  from  first  to  last,  wonderfully 
enough.  The  Morris-Island  experience  of  our  men  is  use- 
ful to  them  now ;  they  know  just  when  and  how  to  cover." 

But  men  of  the  10th  often  were  hit.  A  sharp  cry  at 
dead  of  night  more  than  once  gave  indication  that  some 
one  had  been  wounded  while  asleep  in  his  tent ;  and 
casualties  came  to  be  so  frequent,  that  officers  and  men 
moved  about  with  an  ever-present  consciousness  that  they 
might  fall  the  next  minute.  Frequently,  one  on  stepping 
from  his  tent  would  ask  his  friend  to  forward  an  open 
letter,  to  attend  to  an  unfinished  business  item,  or  to 
remember  some  former  request,  in  case  he  did  not  come 
in  again ;  and  every  nerve  was  kept  on  tension  by  this 
sense  of  personal  peril,  during  the  waking  hours, — hardly 
quieted  even  in  sleep,  when  the  patter  of  bullets  gave 
shape  to  troubled  dreams. 

Pickets  were  relieved  only  after  nightfall,  and  there 
were  times  when  no  man  at  the  advanced  posts,  or  even 
at  the  main  works,  could  show  himself  by  daylight  save 
at  the  imminent  risk  of  his  life,  so  vigilant  and  accurate 
were  the  rebel  sharpshooters. 


288  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

"Just  before  evening,"  wrote  Camp  of  one  such  day, 
"  Lieutenant  Hickerson  was  struck  in  the  face  by  a  bullet. 
He  had  seen  the  flash  of  the  rebel  rifle,  and  stooped  long 
enough,  he  thought,  for  the  bullet  to  pass ;  but  it  was  an 
enormously  long  range,  and  he  lifted  his  head  again  just 
in  time  to  be  hit.  The  ball  struck  the  upper  part  of  the 
cheek-bone,  close  to  the  eye.  Almost  spent,  it  made 
only  a  flesh-wound,  painful,  but  not  dangerous.  An  inch 
higher,  it  would  have  entered  the  eye,  and  blinded  or 
killed  him.  The  videttes  coming  in  when  relieved  at  dusk 
brought  with  them  one  of  their  number  who  had  been 
mortally  wounded  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  was 
still  living,  though  his  brains  were  oozing  out  of  a  bullet- 
hole  through  the  head. 

"  So  sharp  had  been  the  fire,  so  positive  the  certainty 
of  being  hit,  on  those  advanced  posts,  with  the  slightest 
exposure,  that  it  had  been  impossible  to  move  him.  None 
but  his  companion  in  the  same  rifle-pit,  and  those  on  the 
next  post,  to  whom  he  called  out  the  information,  knew 
until  night  that  he  had  been  hit.  It  was  Henry  Lyman, 
of  Company  K,  one  of  our  tried  and  reliable  men.  His 
companion  —  Bunnell,  one  of  the  same  sort,  scout  and 
sharpshooter  —  would  have  done  for  him  any  thing  that 
man  could  do ;  but  it  was  of  no  use  to  make  an  attempt. 
Think  of  him  spending  the  day  in  that  rifle-pit,  with  his 
dying  friend,  helpless,  unable  to  lift  his  head  without 
bringing  certain  death  upon  himself!  " 


PICKET  INTERCOURSE.  289 

There  were  hours  of  sociability  between  the  Petersburg 
pickets,  in  the  intermissions  of  firing  at  one  point  or  another. 
In  a  cornfield  between  the  lines  in  front  of  the  3d  Brigade, 
they  sometimes  met  for  a  friendly  chat,  or  to  barter,  or  for 
a  game  at  cards.  One  afternoon,  while  the  10th  was  on 
picket,  after  an  hour  of  lively  shelling  and  some  musketry- 
firing,  there  was  a  rest  from  active  hostilities.  Then  a 
rebel  soldier  showed  himself  on  the  parapet  of  his  works, 
and,  shaking  a  newspaper  as  a  sign  of  truce,  sprang  over 
into  the  cornfield.  At  once  a  hundred  men  from  either 
side  were  over  their  lines  and  side  by  side,  exchanging 
papers  and  coffee  and  tobacco,  and  renewing  old  acquaint- 
ances, or  forming  new  ones.  Old  schoolmates  and  fellow- 
townsmen  were,  in  several  instances,  found  over  against 
each  other.  When,  after  a  half-hour  of  this  friendly  inter- 
course, fire  was  opened  from  one  of  the  batteries,  over  the 
heads  of  the  cornfield  party,  officers  and  men  hurried  back 
to  their  lines  again,  and  hostilities  were  active  as  before. 

"For  my  own  part,"  wrote  Camp  of  these  times  of 
truce,  "  I  have  an  uncomfortable  sensation  when  I'm  in  a 
situation  where  my  safety  depends  on  the  good  faith  and 
fairness  of  rebels.  Our  Morris-Island  experience  was  one 
not  readily  to  be  forgotten ;  and  I  sha'n't  be  likely  to  lead 
them  again  into  any  unnecessary  temptation." 

Here  is  an  extract  from  another  letter,  written  when  no 
truce  existed  :  — 

"I  have  just   been  out   to  watch  the  sharpshooting. 

19 


290  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

There  is  no  longer  any  truce  opposite  our  position,  ai.d  one 
can  not  safely  raise  his  head  above  the  parapet.  I  watched 
for  some  time  the  shots  which  our  boys  made  at  a  rebel 
who  had  a  capital  position  from  which  to  fire,  and  made 
good  use  of  it.  His  head  only  was  to  be  seen,  and  that 
seldom.  Half  a  dozen  of  our  men  would  take  aim  at  the 
aperture  where  he  appeared ;  and  one,  with  a  field-glass, 
would  give  notice  when  to  fire.  Then  the  dust  would  fly 
all  about  the  place,  and  he  wouldn't  come  in  sight  again 
for  some  minutes.  When  I  left  the  trenches  to  return 
here  to  our  bomb-proof,  he  seemed  to  have  left  his  post ; 
whether  bit,  or  only  having  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
was  too  dangerous  a  place,  we  couldn't  tell.  It  was  too 
long  range  for  accurate  shooting  with  ordinary  rifles,  — 
some  five  hundred  yards  between  the  main  works,  which, 
at  this  point,  are  widely  divergent. 

"  The  rebels  have  a  few  sharpshooters  with  Whitworth 
rifles,  who  are  dangerous  fellows  to  be  seen  by.  One  of 
our  men  this  morning  had  his  hau>  lifted  by  a  bullet,  fired, 
like  many  others,  through  one  of  the  apertures  of  the 
parapet :  another's  face  was  grazed.  As  Colonel  Plaisted 
and  I  were  standing  close  to  the  parapet,  a  bullet  struck 
it  just  in  front  of  us,  and  so  near  the  top  as  to  throw  the 
dirt  over  us.  As  I  was  coming  up  the  hill  toward  our 
bomb-proof,  another  —  chance,  I  think,  for  I  could  hardly 
have  been  in  sight  —  passed  before  my  face  so  close,  that 
I  involuntarily  threw  back  my  head,  feeling  the  wind  of  it, 


CLOSE   FIRING.  291 

or  fancying  I  did,  as  it  went  by.  They  are  constantly 
whizzing  by  our  splinter-proof.  Our  orderly,  who  occupies 
a  smaller  one  near  by,  said  that  he  saw  three  strike  ours 
within  a  few  minutes.  I  presume  many  are  buried  in  it. 
Down  in  the  ravine,  there  is  a  tree  in  whose  trunk  over 
two  hundred  bullet-marks  have  been  counted ;  and  there 
are  probably  twice  as  many,  if  it  could  bo  carefully 
examined.  Within  the  last  half-hour  a  rebel  battery  has 
opened  upon  one  of  ours  a  little  to  our  rear,  which  answers 
vigorously.  We  are  directly  under  the  line  of  fire,  and 
are  in  hopes  that  neither  side —  (Well,  they  did,  just  that 
minute ;  fired  low,  our  own  side ;  struck  the  earth  between 
themselves  and  us,  ricochetting  overhead,  but  a  little  to  the 
left.  Awkward  experiment! — don't  want 'em  to  try  it 
again.  The  first  rebel  shot  passed  very  near  us,  —  too 
low  for  the  battery  at  which  it  was  aimed  :  they  are  doing 
better  now.  Still,  if  the  rebel  gunner  should  depress  the 
muzzle  of  his  piece  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  it  would  probably 
finish  us.  It  is  a  sixty-four  pounder,  and  one  of  its  balls 
would  knock  our  splinter-proof  into  a  cocked  hat,  and  bury 
us  under  the  ruins.  I  hear  now  that  the  same  man  who 
had  the  bullet  through  his  hair  a  little  while  ago  has  been 
hit  in  the  arm ;  nothing  very  serious,  though  it  will  lay 
him  up  for  a  few  days.  .  Henry  has  been  down  to  the  24th 
camp  to  bury  a  man  killed  yesterday.  I  was  anxious 
about  him,  going  and  returning;  for  bullets  fly  thick  along 
the  whole  way ;  and  just  in  rear  of  our  bomb-proof  here, 


292  THE  KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

is  one  of  the  worst  places  within  a  mile.  Something  of  a 
parenthesis  I  have  made  of  it,  haven't  I?)" 

Of  the  Sunday  night  after  the  news  came  of  Sherman's 
capture  of  Atlanta,  Camp  wrote  :  — 

"  We  lay  down  early,  and  slept  quietly  until  midnight. 
Then  suddenly  broke  forth  such  a  cannonade  as  we  had 
heard  only  once  before  in  all  our  experience,  —  the  even- 
ing of  the  attack  on  Wagner.  We  rose,  and  looked 
around  :  our  whole  line  was  lit  up  by  the  flash  of  the 
guns,  and  the  roar  was  incessant.  The  rebels  answered, 
though  with  a  fire  of  by  no  means  equal  intensity ;  and  the 
sight  was  a  magnificent  one,  —  the  blazing  shells  cutting 
the  sky  in  every  direction,  bursting  sometimes  at  the  very 
summit  of  their  curve,  and  flashing  the  red  glare  of  their 
explosion  on  all  beneath.  Impressive  pyrotechny  !  What 
it  all  meant  we  were  at  a  loss  to  understand.  There  were 
no  signs  of  an  attack  by  either  party;  and  when,  after 
half  an  hour  or  so,  the  exhibition  closed  without  any  ap- 
parent results,  we  went  back  to  our  blankets  more  mysti- 
fied than  ever.  Next  day  we  learned  that  it  was  a  salute 
for  the  fall  of  Atlanta.  Thirty-six  midnight  guns  from 
each  battery ;  and,  not  to  waste  ammunition,  the  guns 
were  shotted,  and  Petersburg  and  its  fortifications  given 
the  benefit  of  them.  The  whole  thing  must  have  been 
gratifying  to  our  friends  opposite.  During  the  whole 
time,  the  bands  were  playing  national  airs,  —  the  music, 
of  course,  adding  materially  to  the  effect." 


WEARINESS.  293 

Of  the  shotted  salute  with  which  the  rebels  greeted  the 
passage  of  trains  over  General  Grant's  railroad  from  City 
Point  to  Meade's  extreme  left,  Camp  wrote  :  — 

"In  the  afternoon,  we  stood  for  awhile  watching  the 
rebel  artillery  practice  on  our  railroad- train.  Nearly  op- 
posite our  camp  is  a  place  where  the  new  military  road 
toward  Warren's  position  passes  in  plain  sight  of  the  rebel 
works,  and  within  range  of  rifled-guns,  though  nearly  a 
mile  to  our  rear.  They  fire  frequently  at  the  cars,  and 
have  made  some  capital  shots,  though  never  yet  hitting 
them.  We  can  hear  the  bolt  hum  through  the  air  over- 
head, and  have  plenty  of  time  to  step  out  of  the  tent  and 
look  toward  the  train  before  ib  strikes.  Of  late,  our  guns 
have  opened  on  the  rebel  battery  every  time  a  train  ap- 
proached ;  but  they  can't  prevent  the  one  shot  which 
comes  almost  as  regularly  as  the  train  passes.  The  range 
is  probably  a  mile  and  a  half;  and  the  shooting  has  been 
accurate  at  a  moving  object,  —  a  pretty  difficult  job." 

In  one  of  Camp's  letters  from  the  Petersburg  front  is 
found  almost  the  only  expression  of  wearisomeness  in  his 
work  which  escaped  him  from  the  hour  he  entered  service 
until  his  death.  It  gives  evidence  of  the  terrible  pressure 
of  the  prolonged  and  bloody  campaign  of  18G4,  even  on 
the  bravest  and  truest. 

"The  activity  of  this  life  has  intense  pleasure,"  he 
wrote  ;  "  but  it  has  weariness  too.  The  strain  of  excite- 
ment and  of  anxiety,  the  wear  and  tear  of  such  work  as 


294  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

ours,  begin  to  tell  upon  mo.  Not  that  I  am  breaking 
down  under  it,  or  ready  to  abandon  the  task  which  must 
be  accomplished,  or  even  that  I  would  return  to  such  play- 
day,  pleasant  soldiering  as  our  occupation  of  Newberne. 
But  I  am  beginning  to  long  for  the  end  on  personal  as 
well  as  patriotic  grounds.  I  used  to  feel  differently,  you 
know.  Home  would  seem  very  attractive  to  me  now, 
rest  very  pleasant,  could  I  feel  that  my  place  was  any- 
where else  than  here,  my  work  any  other  than  this. 
Perhaps  I  should  be  restless  and  uneasy  away  from  ex- 
citement. I  certainly  should  while  the  war  lasts ;  but, 
when  peace  comes,  I  think  I  shall  be  ready  (if  I  am  alive 
then)  for  at  least  a  few  months,  of  quiet.  There  was  none 
in  prison-life,  — less  even  than  now;  and  the  time  since  I 
last  knew  what  it  meant  begins  to  seem  long." 


It  was  soon  after  the  10th  went  to  Petersburg  that 
Camp  received  from  Governor  Buckingham  his  well-de- 
served commission  as  major  of  the  regiment.  The  num- 
ber of  men  on  the  rolls  of  the  10th  being  below  the 
standard  required  for  three  field-officers,  there  was  some 
delay  in.  Camp's  muster-in  ;  but  General  Butler,  being 
made  acquainted  with  the  facts,  issued  a  special  order 
directing  his  muster,  as  demanded  by  the  necessities  of  the 
service  ;  and  on  the  25th  of  September,  being  duly  quali- 
fied, he  assumed  the  duties  of  his  new  position. 


REST.  295 

Saturday  afternoon,  Sept.  24,  brought  orders  lo  the 
10th  Corps  to  be  ready,  that  night,  to  be  relieved  by  the 
2d  Corps,  —  a  portion  of  which  had  been  some  time  in 
reserve  iu  the  rear  of  the  line  at  the  left  of  the  10th. 
Preparations  were  hastily  made ;  and,  at  midnight,  the 
troops  of  the  corps  were  withdrawn  to  the  level  ground  in 
the  rear  of  General  Birney's  headquarters.  There  was  a 
halt,  and  a  delay  of  several  days ;  the  time  being  occu- 
pied in  drilling,  and  in  parades,  —  a  service  almost  un- 
known since  the  campaign  opened  in  May.  It  was  with  a 
restful  feeling  that  the  tired  troops  found  themselves  out 
of  reach  of  the  enemy's  guns,  and  permitted  to  move 
about  without  expecting  momentarily  the  hiss  of  a  bullet 
or  the  whiz  of  a  shell.  The  rest  was  needed,  both  in 
view  of  what  had  gone  before,  and  what  was  so  soon  to 
come. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
LIFE  AND  DEATH  BEFORE  RICHMOND. 

JOON  after  noon  of  Wednesday,  Sept.  28,  tbe 
10th  Corps  was  again  in  motion.  From  its 
camping -ground  before  Petersburg  it  moved 
hurriedly,  yet  with  the  tedious  slowness  of  any  long  col- 
umn, toward  the  Appomattox,  over  the  pontoon  at  Broad- 
way Landing,  across  the  Bermuda-Hundred  Peninsula,  and 
to  the  north  bank  of  the  James,  from  the  Jones's-Neck 
pontoon  to  Deep  Bottom. 

The  10th  Regiment  had  commenced  its  march  soon  after 
three  P.M.  It  was  half-past  two  A.M.  when  it  halted  at  Deep 
Bottom  ;  and  those  of  its  heavily  laden  men  who  had  not  fall- 
en out  exhausted  by  the  way  dropped,  foot-sore  and  weary, 
on  the  wet  grass  of  the  familiar  ground,  where,  before,  they 
had  camped  and  picketed  and  stood  fire  and  fought,  and 
buried  their  dead,  and  from  which,  a  month  previous,  they 
had  gone  out  with  no  thought  of  a  return. 

As  they  lay  down,  word  came  to  them  that  they  must 
move  again  in  light  marching  order,  at  four  A.M.;  and  to 
move  was  to  fight,  where  the  enemy  held  his  lines  as  close- 
ly as  about  Deep  Bottom.  With  such  an  announcement, 

290 


DEEP    BOTTOM.  297 

but  little  of  rest  was  secured  in  the  single  hour  allowed 
them  for  sleep ;  and  it  required  true  moral  courage  to  lift 
men  up  when  the  line  was  formed  in  the  darkness  of  the 
early  morning,  and  to  carry  them  forward  in  the  hurried 
march  to  the.  very  front  where  so  many  of  their  comrades 
had  fallen  on  that  remembered  sabbath  of  battle  in  Au- 
gust. 

But  the  morning  move  was  less  bloody  to  the  3d  Brig- 
ade than  was  anticipated.  The  18th  Corps,  having  crossed 
the  river  at  Varnia  Landing,  made  a  successful  advance 
against  the  strong  works  at  Chaffin's  Bluff,  while  the  col- 
ored troops  of  the  10th  Corps  pushed  out  beyond  the  Grover 
House,  driving  the  enemy,  and  causing  him  to  fall  back 
from  before  the  front  of  Colonel  Plaisted's  Brigade,  which 
advanced  on  the  extreme  right  along  the  bank  of  Four- 
Mile  Creek,  until  the  entire  fortifications  on  and  about 
New-Market  Ilights  were  carried.  For  several  hours, 
the  victorious  lines  pressed  steadily  on,  driving  all  before 
them.  Only  Fort  Gilmer  checked  the  advance  in  any 
direction.  General  Terry's  Division,  including  the  10th 
Regiment,  moved,  during  the  afternoon,  up  the  Central  or 
Darbytown  Road  toward  Richmond ;  the  head  of  his  col- 
umn reaching  a  point  within  three  miles  of  the  city,  of 
which  the  roofs  and  spires  were  in  full  view.  Had  it  been 
deemed  advisable,  he  might,  doubtless,  have  pressed  di- 
rectly into  Richmond ;  but  the  condition  of  affairs  on  other 
parts  of  the  line  rendered  this  inexpedient.  He  retired 


298  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

at  nightfall  to  the  new  line  established  by  the  10th  and 
18th  Corps,  where  intrenching  was  already  going  on  rap- 
idly. 

The  next  few  days  were  days  of  activity  and  of  priva- 
tion. The  enemy  made  several  attempts  to  retake  his  lost 
works  at  Chaffin's  Bluff,  and  to  drive  back  General  Terry's 
lines  near  the  New-Market  Road.  The  troops  stood  to 
arms  much  of  the  time,  and  were  frequently  under  fire. 
The  officers  of  the  10th  Regiment  had  left  all  their  bag- 
gage, even  their  blankets,  at  Deep  Bottom,  on  Thurs- 
day morning ;  and  the  field  and  staff  had  come  forward 
without  their  horses.  Thursday  night  was  cloudy  ;  but  no 
rain  fell.  On  Friday  it  commenced  to  rain.  Without 
shelter  of  any  kind,  and  no  bed  save  the  soft  clay  of  the 
traveled  road,  but  comfortless  sleep  was  secured  during 
the  drenching  storm  of  the  following  night ;  and  Saturday 
morning,  when  it  came,  gave  only  the  opportunity  to  rise 
up,  and  take  the  rain  perpendicularly  instead  of  horizon- 
tally. 

Of  a  bold  move  by  the  10th,  on  the  afternoon  of  that 
day,  up  the  New-Market  Road  to  Laurel  Hill,  unsupported 
on  either  flank,  Camp  wrote  as  follows  :  — 

"  On  Saturday  afternoon  our  regiment  was  ordered  out 
alone  to  make  a  diversion  in  favor  of  General  Terry,  who, 
with  two  brigades,  was  demonstrating  upon  the  rebel  lines 
further  to  our  right.  It  was  still  raining,  as  it  had  been 
all  day,  and  the  mud  was  beyond  description.  All  of  us 


SKIRMISHING.  299 

footed  it.  Passing  by  the  picket-line,  we  halted  where 
the  road  ran  through  thick  woods,  and  threw  forward  skir- 
mishers. They  speedily  came  upon  the  enemy's  vedettes. 
We  heard  the  cry  of  '  Halt,  halt ! '  followed  by  a  dozen 
shots ;  and  presently  a  prisoner  came  back,  one  of  our  men 
hurrying  him  down  the  road  at  a  double-quick.  Two  oth- 
ers had  succeeded,  although  fired  upon,  in  making  their 
escape.  The  only  anxiety  our  chap  seemed  to  feel  was 
to  be  taken  out  of  the  way  of  any  further  fighting.  He 
was  afraid,  perhaps,  of  being  recaptured. 

"  Colonel  Otis  now  went  forward  to  the  skirmish-line. 
Henry  went  up  to  a  house  near  which  the  captured  vedette 
had  been  posted.  I,  of  course,  had  to  remain  with  the 
regiment.  In  the  house  were  some  poor,  sadly  frightened 
women,  whom  he,  as  far  as  possible,  re-assured,  and  to  whom 
he  returned  a  few  minutes  later  with  hard-bread  (for  they 
said  it  was  very  difficult  to  obtain  food)  ;  and  afterward 
the  colonel  sent  them  some  coffee,  a  luxury  to  which  they 
had  been  long  unaccustomed.  The  division-officer  of  the 
day  [Major  Randlett  of  the  3d  New  Hampshire]  speak- 
ing of  a  good  position  near  this  house,  I  moved  the  regi- 
ment forward,  and  occupied  it ;  and,  Colonel  Otis  soon 
returning,  the  skirmish-line  was  strengthened  and  still  fur- 
ther advanced. 

"  Presently  our  men  reported  themselves  flanked  upon 
the  left,  and  a  cross-fire  poured  upon  them.  Sergeant 
Williams  was  shot  through  the  small  of  the  back,  the  bul- 


300  THE   KNIGUTLY  SOLDIER. 

let  grazing  tbo  spine  and  inflicting  a  mortal  wound.  A 
private  of  the  same  name  was  shot  through  both  thighs. 
These  men  were  brought  back  upon  stretchers,  attended 
by  Dr.  Hart  on  the  spot,  and  sent  away  to  the  field-hospi- 
tal. A  wounded  rebel,  left  by  his  comrades  in  their  retreat, 
was  also  brought  in,  moaning  and  groaning  most  piteously, 
even  when  treated  with  all  possible  kindness,  and  assured 
that  he  would  be  well  cared  for.  Our  men  had  not  uttered 
a  sound  in  their  pain  :  it  is  rare  that  a  wounded  man 
does.  This  one  claimed  to  be  a  Union  man,  forced  against 
his  will  into  the  ranks,  attempting  to  join  us  when  he  was 
shot ;  said  that  papers  in  his  pocket-book  would  prove  it. 
So  Henry  opened  it  for  him,  and  there,  tucked  away  in  an 
inner  pocket,  was  a  little  wood-cut  of  the  American  flag, 

and  a  cautiously  worded  statement  that was  reliable, 

and  might  be  trusted  by  any  friend  of  the  subscriber, 
signed  by  one  whom  inquiry  showed  to  be  a  known  friend 
of  Government.  Henry  went  down  to  General  Butler's 
in  the  evening  to  see  about  it ;  and,  the  poor  fellow's  state- 
ment proving  true,  he  is  well  cared  for.  Hosts  of  such 
men  are  fighting  us  on  just  such  compulsion  as  brought 
this  man  to  it. 

"  Company  K  was  sent  out  to  drive  back  the  enemy 
on  our  flank  :  they  did  it,  and  we  sustained  no  .more  loss. 
Reaching  a  good  position  for  the  purpose,  and  having 
moved  forward  quite  as  far  as  was  prudent,  considering 
that  we  were  entirely  without  support,  and  that  a  force  of 


DIVISION    OFFICER.  301 

the  enemy  could  be  seen  pushing  toward  the  right,  where 
they  could  flank  us  more  safely  than  on  the  left,  we  halted, 
and  waited  for  dark  ;  keeping  up  a  continual  skirmish-fire 
with  the  enemy,  who  occupied  the  crest  of  a  little  slope  just 
in  front.  At  dusk,  I  went  up  to  the  line,  withdrew  it, 
and,  returning  to  the  reserve,  we  marched  into  camp. 

"  Wo  had  in  this  affair  but  one  line-officer  [Lieutenant 
Benjamin  Wright]  with  the  regiment ;  the  rest  being  ab- 
sent, sick,  or  excused.  But  our  men  can't  be  prevented 
from  fighting  well  when  they  are  once  sent  forward,  with 
orders  or  without.  Thoy  know  what's  wanted,  and  have 
such  an  inveterate  habit  of  removing  any  thing  that 
stands  in  the  way,  that  it  would  be  hard  to  break  'em  of 
it.  Colonel  Plaisted  is  enthusiastic  about  the  regiment, 
and  never  fails  to  speak  well  of  us  in  his  reports." 

On  Monday,  Oct.  3,  upward  of  one  hundred  of 
the  old  men  of  the  10th,  whose  term  of  service  had  ex- 
pired, left  the  regiment  for  their  homes,  —  several  of  their 
officers  accompanying  them.  This  seriously  reduced  the 
battalion,  and  increased  the  pressure  of  duty  upon  the  few 
remaining  officers.  Camp  was  on  Wednesday  division- 
officer  of  the  day,  having  an  oversight  of  the  picket-lino 
on  either  side  of  the  New-Market  Road,  and  receiving  a 
flag  of  truce  borne  by  Major  Wood  and  other  rebel  officers, 
with  letters  for  Lieutenant- Colonel  Mulford. 

On  Thursday,  Colonel  Otis  being  corps-officer  of  the 
day,  Camp  was  in  command  of  the  regiment,  which  was 


302  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

that  day  paid  for  four  months'  service  by  Major  Holmes. 
In  the  evening,  a  wayside  prayer-meeting  was  held  by  a 
blazing  camp-fire.  Although  the  day  had  been  a  busy 
one,  and  special  duties  devolved  on  him,  Major  Camp  was 
present  at  that  gathering  for  worship ;  and  the  pleasant 
tones  of  his  inspiring  voice  were  heard  in  prayer,  as  so 
often  before,  but  as  never  again,  in  the  presence  of  the 
regiment. 

Deserters  from  the  enemy  had  announced  an  attack 
as  contemplated  for  Friday  morning  (Oct.  7),  and  ar- 
rangements were  made  to  receive  it.  Yet  so  many  an- 
nouncements of  the  kind  had  proved  incorrect,  that  few 
anticipated  trouble,  even  while  they  faithfully  obeyed  the 
orders  received ;  and  when,  after  a  night  of  vigilance, 
the  morning  came  with  no  disturbance,  there  was  many  a 
joke  cracked  over  the  last  needless  scare.  But  about 
eight,  A.M.,  sharp  firing  was  heard  over  at  the  extreme 
right,  soon  followed  by  orders  to  be  ready  to  move  in 
heavy  marching  order.  The  firing  increased ;  artillery  and 
musketry  were  heard,  —  all  in  the  direction  of  General 
Kautz's  cavalry-position.  Flying  horsemen  were  seen 
coming  in  from  the  right,  through  the  swamps  and  thick- 
ets, in  wild  disorder.  The  command  came  to  move  rapidly 
down  the  road  toward  the  rear. 

All  seemed  to  indicate  a  retreat.  The  camps  and 
breastworks  wore  being  deserted,  and  the  road  was  al- 
ready thronged  with  retiring  columns  of  cavalry,  infantry, 


FLANKED.  303 

and  artillery ;  while  ambulances  and  baggage-wagons  dis- 
puted progress  with  the  mass  of  moving  men ;  and  along 
either  side  of  the  way  hurried  cooks  with  their  knapsacks 
on  their  backs,  and  huge  coffee-kettles  swung  on  poles 
between  them ;  invalids  limping  as  rapidly  as  their  feeble 
limbs  would  bear  them;  officers'  servants  "toting"  heavy 
loads  of  personal  baggage  ;  surgeons  driving  their  patients 
before  them,  or  starting  up  those  who  were  already  drop- 
ping with  exhaustion ;  sutlers'  clerks  and  runners  with 
their  extra  supply  of  "  truck,"  brought  up  in  view  of  the 
recent  pay-day ;  and  shirks  and  cowards  pushing  ahead  of 
their  regiments,  on  one  plea  or  another,  as  they  fall  behind 
on  an  advance. 

Officers  and  men  exchanged  disturbed,  distrustful  looks, 
as  only  on  a  retreat,  when  trouble  is  anticipated,  and  there 
is  chagrin  at  apparent  failure.  But  no  retreat  was  really 
contemplated.  The  right  flank  of  Major-General  Birney's 
fortified  position,  held  by  General  Kautz,  had  been  turned, 
with  a  considerable  loss  to  the  latter  of  men  and  guns ; 
and  the  enemy,  in  strong  force,  was  now  pressing  down  to 
follow  up  the  advantage  he  had  gained.  General  Birney 
had  withdrawn  troops  from  the  left  to  enable  him  to  form  a 
new  line  of  defense  at  right  angles  to  his  works,  and  thus 
resist  the  progress  of  the  enemy.  General  Terry's  division 
had  been  selected  for  this  duty;  and  Plaisted's  Brigade 
was  merely  being  sent  down  the  road  to  the  right  of  the 
new  line.  Reaching  the  Cox-Farm  Road,  this  brigade 


304  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

deployed,  and  moved  forward  en  echelon,  connecting  on 
the  left  with  Hawley's  Brigade.  Camp's  description  of 
the  battle  continues  from  this  point. 

"Heavy  firing  was  going  on  in  the  direction  of  the 
place  we  had  left,  —  principally  artillery ;  while  the  al- 
most continuous  roar  of  musketry  nearer,  and  upon  our 
left  as  we  stood,  seemed  to  show  that  the  rebels  were  feel- 
ing for  the  end  of  our  line,  —  each  successive  attack  com- 
ing nearer  and  nearer.  When  the  brigade  nest  us  became 
engaged,  including  the  7th  Connecticut,  with  its  seven- 
shooting  rifles,  the  crash  was  beyond  any  thing  I  had  ever 
heard.  We  shook  our  heads  as  we  listened  :  ammunition 
could  hold  out  but  very  few  minutes  at  that  rate ;  and  we 
knew  that,  as  always,  nine  shots  out  of  ten  must  be  wasted. 
Yet,  as  it  afterward  proved,  that  tenth  shot  did  fearful 
execution. 

"  We  hadn't  long  to  wait  and  comment.  A  rattling 
volley  in  our  own  front  showed  that  the  skirmishers  were 
engaged ;  and,  in  a  moment  more,  they  came  hurrying 
back  through  the  dense  pine- woods  before  us, — the  rebels 
close  upon  them.  (These  were  not  our  own  men,  who 
had  been  left  far  to  the  right  when  the  main  body  of  the 
regiment  last  moved.)  There  was  a  brief  delay  while 
they  were  gaining  a  place  of  safety.  One  poor  fellow 
staggered  toward  where  I  stood,  the  blood  pouring  down 
bis  face  from  a  wound  just  received.  lie  was  behind  the 
rest ;  perhaps  he  could  not  move  as  fast  as  they.  We 


THE    FIGHT.  305 

would  have  waited  longer,  but  could  not.  While  the 
bullets  of  the  rebel  skirmishers  flew  among  us,  their  main 
body  was  forming  line  just  behind  for  the  attack,  —  their 
feet  plainly  to  be  seen  beneath  the  low-growing  foliage, 
which  concealed  their  bodies  as  they  dressed  their  ranks. 
It  was  no  time  to  stop  for  one  man's  life,  whether  friend 
or  foe  :  our  line  opened  fire,  and  he  dropped.  Probably 
it  was  only  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  this  new  danger. 
I  do  not  think  he  was  hit ;  but  I  did  not  see  him  again  : 
and,  looking  for  him  after  the  fight  was  over,  he  was  gone. 

"  The  rebels  opened  in  return,  and  the  bullets  flew  fast. 
Colonel  Otis  stood  near  the  right  of  the  line ;  I  at  the 
left.  We  had  hardly  a  hundred  men  in  the  ranks ;  and 
the  regiment  looked  like  a  single  company,  with  a  captain 
and  lieutenant  to  manage  it.  The  men  needed  little  in 
the  way  of  orders  or  instruction,  —  they  knew  just  what 
to  do,  and  did  it.  At  the  first  fire,  the  regiment  on  our 
right  turned  and  ran.  Our  men  saw  it ;  knew  that  their 
flank  was  now  exposed ;  nothing  there  to  hinder  the  im- 
mediate advance  of  the  enemy.  Nothing  is  so  apt  to 
fctrike  men  with  panic.  Our  men  paid  no  other  attention 
to  it  than  to  give  a  rousing  cheer  just  to  show  the  enemy 
that  they  had  no  thought  of  giving  ground,  then  turn 
steadily  to  their  work.  Each  man  stood  fast.  Where  a 
comrade  fell  they  gave  him  room  to  lie,  — •  no  more.  There 
was  no  random  firing  in  air,  but  rapid  loading,  cool  aim, 
and  shots  that  told.  It  was  good  to  see  such  fighting. 

20 


306  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

Those  whom  we  met  were  no  raw  recruits.  They  fought 
well.  For  awhile,  though  unable  to  advance,  they  stood 
their  ground.  Broken  once,  they  rallied  again  at  the 
appeal  of  their  officers,  and  once  more  tried  to  move  for- 
ward through  the  fire  that  mowed  them  down.  It  was  of 
no  use  :  again  thrown  into  confusion,  they  fell  back, 
leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  upon  the  field.  Among 
the  former  was  a  captain,  said  to  have  been  in  command 
of  the  regiment ;  while  opposite  other  parts  of  our  division- 
line  lay  officers  of  different  ranks  among  the  bodies  of  their 
men.  Surgeons  said  that  they  attended  as  many  rebel 
as  Union  soldiers ;  and  when  it  is  considered  how  many 
must  have  been  earned  away,  or  hobbled  off  themselves, 
the  total  rebel  loss  must  have  been  very  heavy.  It  is  said 
that  among  them  were  two  generals,  —  one  killed  and  one 
wounded. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  that  they  had  at  least  two  divisions, 
—  Field's  and  Hoke's,  —  probably  more.  Prisoners  re- 
ported Lee  in  person  superintending  the  movement.  A 
woman  at  a  house  close  by  speaks  of  meeting  him  there, 
and  describes  his  appearance.  Possibly  it  was  so.  Two 
rebels  who  gave  themselves  up  voluntarily  to  one  of  our 
men  just  after  the  fight  told  us  that  the  woods  were  full 
of  others  who  were  anxious  to  come  in,  but  who  feared 
to  attempt  it,  lest  they  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
negro  troops,  who,  they  believed,  would  give  them  no 
quarter. 


THE   LAST   LETTER.  307 

"  Although  our  loss  was  not  large,  the  affair  was,  while 
it  lasted,  a  very  brisk  one.  Our  fighting  hitherto  has 
been  almost  exclusively  skirmishing.  It  was  the  first  time 
since  I  have  rejoined  the  regiment  that  simultaneous  fire 
has  been  opened  by  the  companies  of  the  battalion-line. 
We  have  seldom  had  an  opportunity  to  stand  and  receive 
an  enemy ;  and  even  now,  we  had  to  leave  our  intrenched 
position,  and  meet  them  without  any  advantages  of  defense. 
But  we  are  well  content  with  even  terms,  and  would  ask 
nothing  better  than  to  have  them  always.  Now,  if  we 
could  only  have  a  full  regiment  of  men  like  this  handful 
left  to  us!  —  there's  nothing  which  we  shouldn't  feel  as 
if  we  could  do.  The  three  New-England  regiments  of 
our  brigade  are  as  good  men  as  ever  fought. 

"  Deserters  reported  that  Lee  was  coming  down  on  us 
again  this  morning,  this  time  with  three  army  corps ;  but 
be  didn't  make  his  appearance.  The  rumor  now  is  that 
he  only  postponed  operations  twenty-four  hours,  and  will 
certainly  attack  at  daylight  to-morrow.  Don't  believe, 
now  that  we  are  ready  for  him,  that  he'll  give  us  a  chance 
to  fight  him  behind  works.  Still,  he  may  find  a  weak  spot 
somewhere  between  here  and  Deep  Bottom.  As  the  mail 
doesn't  go  until  to-morrow  afternoon,  perhaps  I  shall  tell 
you  about  it  in  a  P. S.,  or  somebody  else  may." 

Camp  never  finished  another  home-letter.  In  this,  he 
failed  to  tell  of  himself,  as  he  appeared  to  others  in  that 
hour  of  sharp  conflict.  Calmly  and  quietly  he  moved 


308  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

along  the  battle -line  while  the  fight  raged  fiercest, 
saying  firm  and  encouraging  words  to  the  brave  men 
before  him,  pointing  with  his  sword  in  the  direction 
whence  the  enemy's  fire  was  sharpest,  and  enjoining  a 
low  and  well-aimed  return-fire  as  coolly  as  he  would  have 
superintended  harmless  target-practice.  Hidden  once  or 
twice,  in  the  dense  smoke,  from  the  friend  who  watched 
him  with  intent  and  anxious  gaze,  it  seemed  for  a  few 
burdened  seconds  as  if  he  also  had  fallen  ;  but  while 
the  breath  of  the  watcher  wag  stayed,  and  the  heart 
suspended  its  throbs,  again  his  flashing  sword  was  seen 
through  the  rifted  smoke-cloud,  and  his  form  stood  erect 
and  noble  as  before.  And,  when  the  firing  ceased,  his 
face  showed  no  flush  of  excitement,  his  voice  betrayed 
no  unusual  emotion :  his  only  impulse  was  to  thank  God 
for  victory,  and  to  bless  the  brave  boys  whose  unflinch- 
ing steadiness  had  won  it. 

The  next  few  days  after  the  battle  of  the  seventh  were 
occupied  by  the  troops  of  Terry's  Division  in  finishing 
breastworks  along  the  front  they  had  then  so  nobly  de- 
fended. On  the  evening  of  Sabbath,  the  ninth,  Camp 
attended  a  preaching  service  at  the  regimental  bivouac. 
On  Tuesday,  the  eleventh,  he  deposited  with  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  to  receive  the  votes  of  Connecticut  sol- 
diers in  the  field,  his  second  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln 
as  President,  —  a  vote  which  was  never  counted  at  home, 
because  of  hL  death  prior  to  the  day  of  election. 


A    NEW   MOVEMENT.  309 

Soon  after  noon  of  Thursday,  Oct.  12,  orders  wero 
received  for  the  regiment  to  move  at  once  in  light  marching 
order.  At  half  past  four  it  left  cainpj  and,  with  the  re- 
mainder of  its  brigade,  passed  out,  through  a  sally-port  of 
the  works,  near  the  New-Market  Road.  The  whole  of  the 
1st  Division,  temporarily  commanded  by  General  Ames, 
—  General  Terry  being  in  command  of  the  corps,  — 
was  in  motion.  On  the  broad  fields  of  the  Cox  Farm 
there  was  a  halt,  the  three  brigades  resting  in  successive 
lines  of  battle.  Rain  commenced  falling.  The  afternoon 
was  dreary.  General  Ames  and  staff,  and  the  brigade- 
commanders,  sat  or  stood  on  the  piazza  of  the  plantation- 
house.  Regimental  and  company  officers  gathered  in  little 
knots,  and  chatted  in  the  dismal  storm.  The  men  lolled 
on  the  wet  grass,  talking  and  laughing  as  merrily  as 
though  they  had  no  wish  for  better  quarters. 

Major  Camp  and  his  friend  joined  Colonel  Rockwell 
of  the  Gth  Connecticut  Volunteers ;  and  the  three  indulged 
in  conjectures  as  to  the  nature  and  probable  results  of 
the  new  and  sudden  move.  Then,  looking  about  them, 
they  spoke  of  how  many  now  in  careless  ease  wero  un- 
likely to  see  the  termination  of  this  advance.  The  trials 
and  anxieties  of  the  prolonged  campaign  were  referred 
to,  not  sadly  but  seriously;  and  cheerful  words  wero 
also  uttered,  and  a  hearty,  mutual  laugh  was  enjoyed. 
An  hour  passed  by.  Then  there  was  a  new  start.  The 
column  once  more  in  motion  wound  its  slow  way  along 


310  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  hillside,  around  to  the  left ;  and,  to  the  surprise  of  all, 
back  to  the  works  again,  and  in  through  another  sally-port 
than  that  by  which  it  had  passed  out.  The  troops  re- 
turned to  their  several  camps.  A  flag  of  truce  coming  in 
from  the  enemy  had  suspended  the  move  for  the  time 
being,  and  a  night  of  rest  was  to  be  substituted  for  one 
of  fatigue  and  exposure.  The  friends  sat  writing  and 
talking  until  past  midnight.  Then,  for  the  last  time,  they 
read  their  evening  chapter,  prayed  together,  and  lay  down 
side  by  side,  as  so  often  before. 

At  three,  A.M.,  they  were  up  again;  and  at  four,  the 
regiment  was  once  more  in  motion.  In  the  darkness  of 
the  early  morning,  the  column  passed  out  beyond  the 
works,  by  the  Cox  Farm,  through  the  woods,  across  the 
ravine,  on  to  the  Johnson  Place ;  thence,  after  a  brief 
halt,  to  close  up  the  lines,  over  the  Darbytown  Road,  to  the 
extensive  plains  between  that  and  the  Charles-City  Road. 
There  was  another  halt  to  form  for  an  attack. 

The  morning  was  delightful.  It  was  the  opening  of  a 
bright  October  day.  The  air  was  clear  and  bracing.  The 
first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  were  reflected  from  the  frosted 
surface  of  the  wide-reaching  grassy  fields,  and  from  the 
many  hued  forest-trees  beyond,  as  the  skirmishers  of  three 
brigades  deployed,  and  moved  in  their  wavy  line,  extend- 
ing far  to  right  and  left,  up  toward  the  belt  of  woods 
where  the  enemy's  mounted  vedettes  were  distinctly  seen. 
General,  staff,  and  regimental  officers  rode  hither  and 


Rebel  Earthworks,  Darbytown  Road. 


PREPARA  TION.  311 

thither.  Corps,  division,  and  brigade  flags  were  in  sight. 
Long  lines  of  infantry  with  flashing  arras  and  waving  stand- 
ards were  coming  up  by  the  flank  or  advancing  in  battle- 
front.  Cavalry,  with  rattling  sabers  and  fluttering  camp- 
colors,  clattered  along  the  road,  and  the  brilliant  guidons 
of  the  artillery  —  yet  far  at  the  rear  —  signaled  the  ap- 
proach of  the  rumbling  batteries.  The  scene  was  exhila- 
rating and  inspiriting ;  and  no  one  more  thoroughly  appreci- 
ated and  heartily  enjoyed  it  than  young  Major  Camp  as  he 
rode  back  and  forth,  conveying  orders  and  bearing  messages. 
The  first  fire  of  the  skirmishers  opened.  The  enemy's 
advanced  line  was  easily  pressed  back  to  his  strongly  in- 
trenched position  beyond  the  woods.  There  his  skirmishers 
were  re-enforced,  and  the  progress  of  the  attacking  party 
was  stayed.  For  several  hours,  the  fighting  was  brisk  be- 
tween the  opposing  skirmish-lines ;  the  mam  force  halting 
in  line  of  battle  in  close  reserve.  Four  companies  of  the 
10th  skirmished  under  Lieutenant  Linsley ;  the  other  six 
were  in  reserve,  in  charge  of  the  three  field-officers.  The 
forenoon  dragged  along  slowly.  Artillery-fire  was  sharp 
for  a  time,  and  the  rattle  of  musketry  was  incessant.  Men 
were  killed  and  wounded  close  at  hand  as  the  little  group 
of  officers  of  the  10th  sat  chatting  together;  and  word  came 
frequently  that  one  or  another  good  soldier  had  fallen  on 
the  skirmish-line.  An  occasional  narrow  escape  to  some 
of  the  party  from  a  flying  bullet  or  shell  fragment  would 
cause  a  passing  remark,  or,  perhaps,  raise  a  laugh.  No  one 


312  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

expected  to  be  bit  himself,  for  lie  had  escaped  so  many 
times  before.  Dinner  was  brought  up  and  eaten  under 
Gre.  Then  Camp  stretched  himself  on  the  ground,  and 
was  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  sound  of  the  battle. 

Soon  after  noon,  he  was  started  up  to  lead  a  party  of 
men  down  the  road  on  a  mission  from  the  corps-commander. 
While  he  was  away,  Colonel  Otis  received  orders  to  re- 
port at  once  with  the  remainder  of  his  regiment  to  Colonel 
Pond,  commanding  the  1st  Brigade,  at  the  extreme  right 
of  the  division.  No  sooner  was  the  new  position  reached, 
than  the  formation  of  troops  was  seen  to  indicate  an  assault 
on  the  works  in  front ;  and  a  chill  ran  over  many  an  old 
soldier's  frame.  The  enemy  was  known  to  be  strongly  in- 
trenched ;  and  an  advance  could  be  made  at  this  point  only 
by  a  dense  thicket  of  scrub-oaks,  and  laurels,  and  tangled 
vines,  through  which  a  way  could  not  be  forced  save 
slowly  and  step  by  step.  A  dashing,  resistless  charge 
was  impossible ;  and  the  small  force  ordered  forward  was 
not  likely  to  prove  any  match  for  the  now  heavily  re-enforced 
lines  of  the  foe.  There  was  a  disturbed  look  on  the  face 
of  every  officer,  and  from  many  outspoken  protests  were 
heard. 

When  the  chaplain  saw  the  condition  of  affairs,  his  hope 
and  prayer  was  that  his  friend  would  not  return  in  season 
to  share  the  perils  of  the  assault,  since  he  could  probably 
in  no  way  affect  its  result.  But,  while  the  column  waited, 
Major  Camp  appeared,  wiping  from  his  face  the  porspira- 


THE   ASSAULT.  313 

tion  caused  by  his  exertions  to  rejoin  his  regiment  without 
delay.  As  he  came  up,  the  chaplain's  face  fell  with  dis- 
appointment. Reading  the  look,  Camp  said  quickly  and 
tenderly,  "Why,  what  is  the  matter,  Henry?  has  any 
thing  happened  ?  "  —  "  No ;  but  I'm  sorry  you've  returned 
in  time  for  this  assault."  —  "  Oh  !  don't  say  so,  my  dear 
fellow ;  I  thank  God  I'm  back."  —  "  But  you  can  do  no 
good,  and  I'm  afraid  for  you."  —  "Well,  you  wouldn't 
have  the  regiment  go  in  with  me  behind,  would  you?  No, 
no  !  In  any  event,  I  thank  God  I  am  here!  "  Then  he 
moved  about  among  his  comrades,  with  a  bright  and  cheer- 
ful face,  like  a  gleam  of  sunshine  through  gathering  clouds. 
Never  a  word  of  doubt  or  distrust  did  he  express  as  to  the 
pending  move,  although  his  opinion  was  probably  the  same 
with  the  others  as  to  its  inevitable  issue.  Many  near  him 
were  as  regardless  of  personal  danger  as  he,  and  would  go 
as  fearlessly  into  the  thickest  of  the  fray ;  but  few,  if  any, 
showed  such  sublimity  of  moral  courage,  in  meeting,  with- 
out a  murmur,  his  responsibilities  at  such  an  hour.  "I 
don't  like  this  blue  talking,"  he  said,  aside  to  his  friend. 
"  The  men  see  it,  and  it  affects  them.  If  we  must  go,  we 
must;  and  the  true  way  is  to  make  the  best  of  it." 

The  shattered  remnant  of  the  10th  had  the  right  of  the 
assaulting  column,  which  was  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle. 
Colonel  Otis  led  the  right  and  front.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
( irecley  led  the  right  of  the  second  line,  —  the  left  of  which 
svas  assigned  to  Major  Camp.  "  May  I  not  as  well  take 


314  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

the  left  of  the  front  line,  Colonel?"  Camp  asked  in  his 
quiet  way.  "  Certainly,  if  you  prefer  it,"  was  the  reply  ; 
and  he  took  his  place  accordingly, —  not  that  the  advanced 
position  was  more  honorable,  nor  yet  because  it  was  more 
exposed,  but  from  the  belief  that  it  gave  him  a  better  op- 
portunity to  lead  and  encourage  the  men.  As  he  drew 
his  pistol  from  its  case,  and  thrust  it  loosely  through  his 
belt  for  instant  use  in  the  deadly  struggle,  and  unsheathed 
his  sword,  he  said  to  his  friend,  "I  don't  quite  like  this 
half-hearted  way  of  fighting.  If  we  were  ordered  to  go 
into  that  work  at  all  hazards,  I  should  know  just  what 
to  do ;  but  we  are  told  to  go  on  as  far  as  those  at  our 
left  advance,  and  to  fall  back  when  they  retire.  Such 
orders  are  perplexing."  And  they  were;  for  the  men 
of  the  10th  had  never  yet  failed  to  do  the  work  assigned, 
them, — never  yet  fallen  back  under  the  pressure. of  the 
enemy. 

The  two  friends  talked  of  the  possibilities  of  the  hour, 
speaking  freely  of  the  delightful  past  and  as  to  the  proba- 
ble future.  "  If  we  don't  meet  again  here,  we  will  hope 
to  meet  in  heaven,"  said  the  chaplain.  "  Yes,"  replied 
Camp ;  "  and  yet  I  have  been  so  absorbed  in  this  life,  that 
I  can  hardly  realize  that  there  is  another  beyond."  After 
a  few  more  words  on  this  theme,  the  friends  clasped  hands, 
and  Camp  said  warmly,  "  Good-bye,  Henry  !  good-bye  !•" 
The  words  sent  a  chill  to  the  other's  heart ;  and,  as  he 
moved  to  the  right  of  the  line,  they  rang  in  his  ears  as 


GOOD-BYE.  315 

a  sound  of  deep  and  fearful  meaning.  Good-bye !  that 
farewell  had  never  before  been  uttered  in  all  the  partings 
of  a  score  and  a  half  of  battle-fields.  It  was  first  appropri- 
ate now. 

The  signal  was  given  for  a  start :  the  men  raised  the 
charging  cry  with  a  tone  that  rather  indicated  a  willingness 
to  obey  than  a  hope  of  success ;  and  the  doomed  column 
struggled  forward,  through  the  impeding  undergrowth  of 
the  dense  wood,  through  the  crashing  sweep  of  grape  and 
canister,  and  the  fatal  hiss  and  hum  of  flying  bullets. 
Those  latest  words  had  so  impressed  the  chaplain  with  the 
idea  that  this  hour  was  his  comrade's  last  on  earth,  that  he 
felt  he  must  see  him  yet  again,  and  have  another  and  more 
cheering  assurance  of  his  faith  than  that  natural  expression 
of  inability  in  the  present  to  fully  realize  the  eternal  future. 
He  turned  once  more  to  the  left,  and  pressed  on  to  over- 
take the  major,  whom  he  saw  in  the  advance,  pushing  his 
way  along  toward  the  furthermost  front  of  death.  Every 
step  was  an  effort.  The  struggle  to  reach  his  friend  was 
almost  as  the  hopeless  chase  in  a  nightmare  dream.  Oh 
for  some  superhuman  arm  to  remove  the  intervening  thick- 
et ere  the  one  or  the  other  fell  prostrate  !  At  length  they 
were  side  by  side  in  the  deadly  race.  As  the  chaplain  laid 
his  hand  on  the  other's  arm,  Camp  turned  with  a  loving 
look  of  glad  surprise.  "  You  said,  Henry,  that  you 
could  not  realize  you  had  a  home  in  heaven.  You  do  not 
doulit  your  Saviour,  do  you?  "  asked  the  chaplain  as  they 


316  THE   KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

pressed  on  together.  Camp's  face  lighted  up  inspiringly, 
all  aglow  with  excitement,  expressive  in  its  story  of  tender- 
est  affection,  of  true  courage,  and  of  firmest  faith.  It  was 
never  more  fair  or  bright  or  beautiful  than  in  that  hour 
and  place  of  death,  as  the  peerless  Christian  soldier  said, 
with  warmth  and  earnestness,  "  No,  no !  dear  fellow !  I 
do  not  doubt.  I  do  trust  Jesus,  fully,  wholly."  With 
another  good-bye,  the  two  friends  parted. 

The  chaplain  turned  to  his  work  among  the  many  dying 
and  wounded.  The  major  struggled  on,  through  the  thick- 
et, out  to  the  open  space  before  the  enemy's  works ;  and 
there,  when  all  at  his  left  had  fallen  back,  when  only  the 
brave  men  of  the  steadfast  10th  at  his  right  were  yet  pressing 
forward,  he  stood  for  a  moment  to  re-form  the  broken  line 
which  could  not  be  maintained  in  the  tangled  wood.  The 
rebel  parapet  was  but  a  few  rods  in  his  front.  From  the 
double  battle-line  behind  it,  the  rifles  poured  forth  their 
ceaseless  fire  of  death.  His  tall  and  manly  form  was  too 
distinct  a  target  to  escape  special  notice  from  the  foe. 
Waving  his  sword,  he  called  aloud  cheerily,  "  Come  on, 
boys,  come  on !  "  then  turned  to  the  color-sergeant  just 
emerging  from  the  thicket,  that  he  might  rally  the  men  on 
the  regimental  standard.  As  he  did  so,  a  bullet  passed 
through  his  lungs ;  and,  as  he  fell  on  his  side,  he  was 
pierced  yet  again  and  again  by  the  thick-coming  shot.  His 
death  was  as  by  the  lightning's  stroke.  His  eyes  scarce 
turned  fron  their  glance  at  the  tattered,  dear  old  flag,  cro 


DEATH.  317 

they  were  closed  to  earth,  and  opened  again  beyond  the 
stars  and  their  field  of  blue. 

The  few  remaining  veterans  of  the  10th  were  alone 
before  the  enemy's  well-defended  stronghold.  They  had 
performed  the  part  assigned  them.  Had  the  order  been 
to  go  on  at  all  hazards,  they  would  never  have  turned 
about,  even  though  no  man  of  their  number  had  crowned 
the  bristling  parapet  in  their  front.  But  the  brigade- 
commander  who  directed  their  movements  had  already 
fallen  back  with  the  remainder  of  his  troops.  Seeing  this, 
Colonel  Otis  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Greeley  retired  in 
good  order  their  little  band  of  now  less  than  fifty  men, 
and  reached  again  their  starting-point ;  having  lost  more 
than  one-half  the  battalion,  dead  or  wounded,  in  the  fruit- 
less charge.  Major  Camp's  body  was  left  where  he  fell. 
It  was  in  vain  that  his  stricken  friend  sought  to  reach  and 
recover  it.  The  enemy  closely  followed  up  the  retiring 
column  with  a  skirmish-line,  and  held  the  bloody  field, 
with  its  dead  and  wounded.  This  closed  the  aggressive 
movements  of  the  day.  General  Ames's  division  shortly 
after  recrossed  the  Darby  town  Road,  and  withdrew  to  the 
line  of  works  it  had  left  in  the  morning. 

Before  Camp's  body  was  really  cold,  the  enemy  —  as 
was  afterward  learned  from  the  wounded  who  were  near 
him  —  took  from  his  person  his  sword  and  pistol,  his 
watch  and  regatta-ring,  his  money  and  papers,  and  even 
stripped  him  of  all  his  outer  garments.  The  next  morn- 


318  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

ing,  Colonel  Rockwell  of  the  Cth  Connecticut,  accompanied 
by  Chaplain  Trumbull  and  Lieutenant  Shrove,  bore  out 
a  flag  of  truce  with  a  communication  from  Major-General 
Terry  to  the  Commander  of  the  Confederate  forces  on  the 
Darbytown  Road,  requesting  the  return  of  Major  Camp's 
remains.  The  party  were  halted  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on 
the  road  beyond  the  Johnson  Place,  at  a  point  midway 
between  the  opposing  picket-lines,  and  there  made  to  wait 
until  a  reply  could  be  received  from  the  request  they 
brought.  Captain  Simms,  of  South  Carolina,  an  officer  of 
the  general's  staff,  soon  responded  to  the  communication, 
and  stated  that  the  desired  remains  were  being  exhumed 
without  delay;  having  been  already  several  hours  buried. 
When  they  were  finally  borne  down  the  road,  Captain 
Simms  expressed  his  sincere  regret  that  the  clothing  and 
valuables  had  been  taken  from  the  body ;  and,  when  the 
chaplain  expressed  a  strong  desire  for  the  personal  diary 
of  his  friend,  courteously  promised  to  seek  and  recover 
that  if  possible.  Subsequently,  having  obtained  it  by  no 
little  search,  he  kindly  sent  it  through  the  lines,  infor- 
mally, to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  home-friends  of  the 
fallen  soldier. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 
MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

chaplain  accompanied  the  remains  of  his 
friend  to  Hartford,  —  reaching  there  on  the 
evening  of  Wednesday,  Oct.  19.  The  funeral- 
services  were  attended  the  next  Friday  afternoon.  Of 
these  a  sketch  is  copied  from  the  columns  of  the  "  Daily 
Post." 

"  A  prayer  was  offered  at  the  residence  of  his  father  on 
Woodland  Street,  whence  the  remains  were  taken  to  the 
North  Church.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding,  pastor  of  the 
church,  opened  the  exercises  with  prayer,  and  then  read 
the  most  beautiful  consolatory  passages  which  the  Bible 
contains  in  its  sacred  pages.  The  choir  sang  the  hymn 
commencing,  — 

" '  Why  should  our  tears  in  sorrow  fall 
"When  God  recalls  his  own  ? ' 

"  Rev.  Henry  Clay  Trumbull,  the  chaplain  of  the  10th 
Connecticut  Regiment,  an  intimate  friend  of  this  young  offi- 
cer, delivered  a  splendid  but  most  just  eulogy  upon  the 
character  of  Major  Camp.  Even  from  his  youth,  he  said,  he 

319 


320  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

had  gained  the  respect  and  esteem  of  every  one  who  knew 
him.  He  grew  up  with  this  same  purity  of  life  and  man- 
ners. During  the  whole  period  of  the  chaplain's  intimate 
acquaintance  with  him,  in  the  bivouac  and  battle,  in  hos- 
pital and  in  prifon,  he  had  never  known  him  to  say  or  do 
any  thing  inconsistent  with  what  he  believed  to  be  his  duty ; 
always  a  Christian,  without  obtruding  his  piety,  patient,  en- 
during, courageous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  not  hesitat- 
ing to  expose  himself  to  danger  if  he  could  accomplish  the 
most  by  so  doing.  Just  previous  to  his  going  into  his  last 
battle,  he  expressed  his  perfect  trust  in  his  Saviour,  and  then 
took  his  position  in  the  front  line,  and  went  forward  calmly 
and  gallantly  to  death.  The  words  which  he  addressed  to 
his  friend,  the  chaplain,  telling  him  of  his  reliance  upon  his 
God,  were  the  last  words  he  uttered,  except  those  of  encour- 
agement which  he  shouted  to  his  men  in  the  midst  of  the 
fierce  conflict.  Mr.  Trumbull  concluded  with  a  most  elo- 
quent tribute  to  the  extraordinary  beauty  of  the  moral  and 
religious  traits  of  this  excellent  soldier  and  splendid  man. 

"  A  few  words  of  consolation  and  prayer  from  Rev.  Dr. 
Hawes,  and  the  services  closed  with  the  magnificent  funeral 
anthem, '  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.' 

"  The  body  was  borne  by  the  intimate  friends  and  college 
classmates  of  the  dead,  from  the  church,  through  an  open 
line  formed  by  members  of  the  City  Guard  in  citizens'  dress; 
and,  under  the  bright  October  sky,  one  of  the  noblest,  truest 
men  that  ever  lived  a  pure,  manly,  holy  life,  or  ever  died  a 
generous  sacrifice  to  a  cause  which  such  deaths  sanctify,  was 
laid  away,  together  with  all  that  was  dear  to  '  friends  and 


TRIBUTES.  321 

sacred  home,'  except  the  blessed  memory  of  the  grandeur  of 
his  goodness." 

The  wide-spread  sorrow  which  the  death  of  Major  Camp 
occasioned,  in  the  army  and  home  circles  of  his  admiring 
comrades  or  attached  friends,  found  expression  in  many  a 
warm  and  eloquent  tribute  to  his  acknowledged  ability  and 
worth. 

Said  Colonel  Otis,  in  reporting  the  action  in  which  he 
fell,- 

"  The  memory  of  Major  Henry  W.  Camp  is  deserving  of 
more  than  a  passing  notice.  The  service  has  never  suffered 
a  heavier  loss  in  an  officer  of  his  grade.  Brave  and  cool 
in  every  emergency,  of  spotless  character  and  refined  intel- 
lectual culture,  he  was  one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of 
the  volunteer  service,  —  a  soldier  '  without  fear  and  without 
reproach.' " 

Brigadier-General  Hawley  wrote  of  him  to  a  friend  :  — 

"  He  is  deeply  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him,  —  a  gentle- 
man, a  soldier,  and  a  Christian.  He  was,  indeed,  a  young 
man  of  rare  excellence  and  promise." 

The  "  Hartford  Daily  Post"  said,  in  its  announcement 
of  his  death,  — 

"  Thus  has  perished  one  of  the  noblest  young  men  whom 
this  city  has  ever  mourned.  He  possessed  some  rare  charac- 
teristics :  prominent  among  them  was  a  Christian  manliness 
21 


322  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

that  impressed  itself  palpably  upon  every  one  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  He  had  a  robust,  vigorous  moral  strength, 
and  a  keen  conscientiousness,  ever  vigilant  against  even  the 
shadow  of  wrong.  His  entrance  into  the  army  was  the 
result  of  a  deliberate  conviction  of  the  right  and  justice  of 
the  cause  to  which  he  consecrated  himself.  He  did  not  wish 
to  pass  through  this  epoch  of  grand  events  without  partici- 
pating in  them ;  and,  governed  by  the  same  motives  through- 
out, he  patiently,  sincerely,  and  bravely  performed  his  every 
duty.  And  the  iron  discipline  of  the  war  wrought  in  him  a 
still  bolder  manhood  and  a  more  marked  Christian  character. 
His  filial  reverence,  his  social  kindliness,  his  firmly  outlined 
integrity,  were  traits  for  which  he  was  loved,  and  by  which 
he  will  long  be  remembered.  A  victim  to  the  accursed  am- 
bition of  the  slave-power,  a  noble  sacrifice  to  the  country 
which  he  loved,  subjected,  when  powerless,  to  the  insults  of 
the  barbarous  enemy,  he  died  —  undoubtedly,  as  he  lived  — 
a  true  Christian  gentleman,  joining  the  goodly  company  of 
our  young  and  brave  and  beautiful  who  have  gone  down  to 
death  with  the  war-cry  of  the  Union  on  their  lips." 

And  thus  the  editor  of  the  "Evening  Press  "  described 
him  :  — 

"  He  was  an  unusually  fine  and  accurate  scholar,  with  a 
free,  open  mind  and  large  capacity.  From  his  solid  acquire- 
ments, his  industry,  his  versatility  and  energy,  his  happy 
facility  as  a  writer  and  impromptu  speaker,  —  his  friends 
were  justified  in  expecting  great  things  from  his  maturity. 

More  than  almost  any  one  we  knew,  his  character  was 


A    LAW  STUDENT.  323 

one  of  mingled  strength  and  sweetness.  He  was  thoroughly 
manly  and  noble,  with  the  clearest  conscience,  and  the 
highest  sense  of  duty ;  and,  in  disposition  and  manners,  most 
lovely  and  winning.  To  natural  graces  of  no  ordinary  sort, 
refinement  and  amiability,  he  added  the  piety  of  a  devout 
Christian.  A  strong,  cultivated  intellect,  a  large,  warm 
heart,  a  gracious,  attractive  manner,  —  what  he  might  have 
l>een  to  the  world  we  shall  never  know.  We  know  he  was 
brave  and  beautiful  in  death ;  and  we  believe  that,  giving 
his  life  for  the  noblest  cause  in  history,  he  already  knows 
that  the  sacrifice  was  not  in  vain." 

The  following  sketches  show  how  Henry  Camp  was 
viewed  as  a  law-student  and  as  a  soldier  by  his  legal 
instructor  and  by  his  brigade-commander. 

"  HARTFORD,  Dec.  14, 1864. 
"REV.  H.   C.   TRUMBULL. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIR, — You  desire  me  to  give  you  some  account 
of  our  lamented  friend,  Major  Camp,  as  a  student  of  law 
with  me.  He  studied  with  me  from  the  spring  of  1861  till 
the  following  winter,  when  he  left  for  the  war.  During  this 
time,  he  frequently  came  to  my  house  in  the  evening  to 
recite,  as  it  was  more  convenient  to  me  to  hear  him  there. 
There  is  little  that  I  can  say  of  him  in  this  relation  beyond 
the  fact,  that  he  exhibited  a  remarkable  facility  in  the 
acquisition  of  the  science.  Of  the  many  students  whom  I 
have  had  in  my  office,  I  never  had  one  who  seemed  to  com- 
prehend legal  principles  so  readily.  I  certainly  found 


324  THE   KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER, 

difficulties  myself  in  my  early  study  of  the  law  which  he 
did  not  encounter.  He  seemed  to  understand  at  once,  not 
merely  the  refined  distinctions  of  the  law,  but  the  relations 
of  one  principle  to  another  ;  and,  so  far  as  he  went,  to  take 
in  the  science  in  all  its  proportions.  He  thus  manifested, 
not  merely  a  highly  discriminating  mind,  but  a  generalizing 
and  philosophical  one.  I  was  so  much  struck  with  this,  in 
the  more  leisurely  recitations  of  the  evening,  when  I  often 
extended  the  instruction  beyond  the  mere  lesson  into  the 
adjacent  and  related  fields  of  the  science,  that  I  repeatedly 
spoke  to  my  family  about  it  after  he  had  left.  I  am  sure 
that,  if  he  had  lived,  he  would  have  made  a  very  superior 
lawyer.  His  mind  was  calm,  clear,  and  self-poised,  and 
his  judgment  sound.  He  had,  I  think,  in  a  high  degree,  the 
judicial  faculty ;  and  would  have  ultimately  made  an  able 
judge. 

"  His  faculties,  naturally  superior,  had  evidently  been  im- 
proved by  thorough  education.  He  seemed  to  me  to  have 
felt,  while  in  college  and  earlier,  the  value  of  education ; 
and  to  have  improved  his  opportunities  well.  He  thus  came 
to  the  study  of  his  profession  with  a  mind  remarkably  dis- 
ciplined, as  well  as  with  a  rare  literary  culture.  His  read- 
ing had  also  been  systematic  and  well-chosen,  so  that  his 
mind  was  well  furnished,  both  with  thoughts  on  the  most 
important  subjects,  and  with  information. 

"  When  the  war  broke  out,  his  whole  soul  became  enlisted 
in  the  cause  of  the  country ;  and  he  co'uld  not  bear  to  fail 
in  his  full  duty  and  his  full  measure  of  sacrifice  in  her  behalf. 
Still  he  had  no  taste  for  military  life.  He  had  been  brought 


A    LAW  STUDENT.  325 

up  to  look  upon  war  as  one  of  the  great  curses  of  the 
world  ;  and  military  ambition  and  displays  had  always  had 
with  him  an  unpleasant  association  with  the  wickedness  of 
war.  He  had  no  misgivings,  however,  as  to  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  war  which  had  been  forced  upon  us ;  and  pre- 
pared himself  at  once  for  what  might  be  found  to  be  his 
duty,  by  joining  the  City  Guard  —  a  finely  organized  home- 
fompany  —  for  the  purpose  of  learning  military  drill. 
There  was  probably  nothing  that  made  him  hesitate  so  much, 
as  to  joining  the  army,  as  the  distress  that  he  knew  it 
would  give  to  his  mother,  who  idolized  him,  and  who  had 
long  held,  as  well  as  instilled  into  him,  a  horror  of  all  war, 
as  essentially  unchristian.  As  the  call  of  duty  grew  more 
and  more  emphatic  and  unequivocal  to  him,  the  voice  of 
home,  coming  to  him  no  less  tenderly,  and  falling  on  no  less 
loving  ears,  yet  lost  some  of  its  potency ;  but  it  was  not 
till  he  had  obtained  the  full  yet  agonized  assent  of  his 
mother,  that  he  left  his  home  for  the  field. 

"  This  completes  the  particular  duty  which  you  had  assigned 
to  me,  of  giving  a  sketch  of  him  as  a  law-student.  I  can 
not  help,  however,  expressing  to  you  my  admiration  of  him 
in  other  respects  than  his  rare  intellectual  powers.  He  was, 
physically  and  morally,  as  nearly  perfect  as  any  young  man 
I  ever  saw.  Indeed,  as  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  physical, 
intellectual,  and  Christian  man,  I  do  not  know  whom  I  could 
place  by  the  side  of  him.  While  earnest  and  devoted  as  a 
Christian,  and  of  a  sensitive  purity  that  would  have  adorned 
a  maiden,  he  had  yet  nothing  of  religious  assumption  or 
obtrusive  meekness  in  his  manner.  He  was  one  of  those 


326  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

muscular  Christians  -who  could  swing  an  almost  irresistible 
arm,  and  a  defiant  one,  if  necessary,  as  well  as  utter  the 
gentlest  words  of  love.  The  very  caviller  at  religion  could 
not  but  respect  and  admire  him. 

"  I  have  never  seen  one  more  full  of  life  and  strength,  and 
ready  to  do  battle  with  hearty  vigor  for  truth  and  right; 
never  one  with  whom  it  seemed  more  incongruous  to  asso- 
ciate the  idea  of  early  and  sudden  death.  Few  deaths  ever 
extinguished  more  of  life  than  went  out  when  he  died.  It  is 
almost  impossible  for  me  to  satisfy  myself  that  there  is  not 
some  illusion  about  it;  and  that  he  is  not,  after  all,  still 
living.  The  exuberance  of  his  vital  energy  seems  to  me 
to  have  been  an  overmatch  for  any  ordinary  power  of 
death. 

"  I  last  saw  him  as  he  was  hurrying  to  the  cars,  the  last 
time  he  left  home,  to  join  his  regiment  at  the  front.  He  had 
been  many  months  in  prison  at  the  South,  and  had  just  been 
paroled  and  had  reached  his  home.  A  few  days  after  his 
return  he  heard,  unofficially,  that  he  had  been  exchanged, 
and  could  return  to  active  service.  He  had  a  furlough  for 
twenty  days,  but  a  small  part  of  which  had  passed.  Without 
waiting  to  write,  he  left  his  home  to  hurry  on,  that  he  might 
not  lose  a  day  in  getting  to  his  regiment.  I  happened  to  be 
riding  with  my  family  through  the  street  on  which  his  father 
lived ;  and,  as  we  approached  the  house,  Henry  came  out  on 
his  way  to  the  cars.  On  seeing  us,  he  came  up  to  the  car- 
riage to  bid  us  good-by.  We  exchanged  a  few  words,  and 
shook  hands  with  him,  and  said  '  God  bless  you ! '  and  he 
hurried  on.  I  never  saw  him  again.  As  he  left  us,  we  all 
spoke  of  the  remarkable  beauty  and  grandeur  that  seemed 


A    SOLDIER.  327 

to  rest  upon  him.  His  face  was  flushed  and  glowing,  and 
his  eye  dilated;  his  form  almost  majestic  in  its  size  and 
elegant  proportions;  and  the  whole  man  bore  the  impress 
of  the  nobleness  of  purity  and  patriotism  and  self-sacrifice. 
It  was  a  grand  view  for  the  last  one  I  was  to  have  of  him. 
It  seems  to  me  now  to  be  less  like  an  earthly  and  mere 
human  vision,  than  like  that  glorified  presence  which  he 
already  bears,  and  which  I  hope,  some  day,  to  see  in  the 
heavenly  world. 

"Very  truly  yours, 

"JOHN  HOOKER." 


"HEADQUARTERS  3D  BRIGADE  1ST  DIVISION  24TH  ARMY  CORPS, 

Before  Kichmond,  Va.,  March  20, 18C5. 

"  FRIEND  TRUMBULL,  — 

"  You  desire  me  to  speak  of  your  friend  as  I  saw  him  and 
knew  him.  I  can  not  say  that  I  knew  him ;  but  I  can  speak 
of  him  as  I  saw  him. 

"It  was  at  Drury's  Bluff,  May  16,  that  I  first  saw  Major 
Camp,  under  very  interesting  and  somewhat  exciting  cir- 
cumstances. The  Army  of  the  James  was  retiring  before 
the  victorious  enemy.  There  was  a  momentary  lull  in  the 
conflict ;  and  the  gallant  1  Oth,  having  repulsed  the  onset  of 
the  enemy  on  its  front,  was  in  the  act  of  taking  up  a  new 
position,  when  I  saw  two  horsemen  abreast,  coming  through 
the  slashing,  straight  to  the  front,  —  yourself  and  Major 
(then  Adjutant)  Camp.  I  had  heard  of  Adjutant  Camp  as 
'  the  chaplain's  friend,'  and  that  he  was  expected.  At  a 
glance,  I  saw  that  the  long-imprisoned  adjutant  had  returned. 
How  will  this  young  man  accept  this  state  of  things? 


3-28  THE    KNIGHTLY  SOLDIER. 

thought  I.  How  will  he  be  received?  The  dead  of  his 
regiment  were  lying  in  the  road,  —  the  -wounded  being 
carried  past  him  to  the  rear.  He  took  no  note  of  the  dead 
or  of  the  wounded;  none  of  the  gallant  boys  of  his  regiment. 
His  eyes  were  on  the  field,  —  right,  left,  and  front,  taking  in 
the  scene ;  for  the  battle  was  not  over.  His  face  was  pale, 
his  lips  compressed,  and  his  every  feature  seemed  like  iron. 
One  of  the  soldiers  of  the  10th  exclaimed,  'There  is  the 
adjutant!  —  Adjutant  Camp!'  Then  the  brave  boys  gave 
at  once  a  shout  of  recognition,  throwing  up  their  caps,  and 
cheering.  Instantly  his  features  relaxed ;  his  face  filled  with 
hot  blood ;  and  the  iron  man  the  moment  before  appeared 
as  modest  as  a  girl ;  and  when  he  took  off  his  hat,  sat  erect 
in  his  saddle,  while  the  10th  moved  past  as  it  were  in  review, 
4  the  young  man '  dwarfed  everybody  present 

"  I  was  impressed  by  Major  Camp's  bearing  on  that  occa- 
sion. I  felt  that  he  was  a  power,  an  embodiment  of  will, 
force,  genius ;  and  that  opportunity  alone  was  wanting  in  him 
for  the  display  of  great  qualities.  He  gave  such  assurance 
of  a  true  soldier,  my  first  impulse  was  to  wish  for  an  occasion 
for  him,  —  one  equal  to  the  man.  They  were  knightly 
qualities  that  showed  forth  themselves  in  him. 

"  Subsequent  acquaintance  with  Major  Camp  never 
effaced,  never  diminished,  the  first  impressions  of  him.  He 
ever  seemed  to  me  the  fittest  man  for  the  choicest  occasion, 
—  hence  I  was  chary  of  exposing  him,  felt  he  was  not  one 
to  be  killed  in  a  skirmish.  The  day  he  fell,  this  feeling  was 
strong  in  me.  '  I  have  no  officer,'  said  Colonel  Otis,  '  to  send 
with  the  skirmishers,  unless  I  send  Major  Camp.'  I  felt 
averse  to  sending  him  against  a  thicket  where  any  skulking 


A    SOLDIER.  329 

rebel  might  take  away  his  life.  Later  in  the  day,  I  wanted 
9,  field-officer  to  take  charge  of  the  skirmish-line  of  the 
brigade-detachments  of  the  several  regiments,  which  were 
doing  a  good  deal  of  fighting,  but  disliked  to  expose  the 
major,  and  delayed  sending  for  him  on  that  account.  But, 
when  the  order  came  to  send  the  10th  to  report  to  Colonel 
Pond,  I  immediately  sent  for  the  major,  but  he  was  away. 
I  had  placed  the  10th  in  reserve  that  day,  its  ranks  were  so 
thinned,  wishing  to  spare  its  gallant  officers  and  men ;  and 
that  very  circumstance  devoted  it  to  the  bloody  service 
which  I  wished  to  spare  it.  It  was  the  will  of  Heaven. 

"  After  the  affair  of  Drury's  Bluff,  I  never  saw  Major 
Camp  excited,  —  never  saw  him  except  in  repose.  In  all 
our  subsequent  engagements  with  the  enemy,  he  was  the 
same  quiet,  composed  soldier  he  was  in  camp. 

"  Oct.  7,  he  moved  along  the  battle-line  of  the  1  Oth, 
among  the  file-closers,  the  only  commissioned  officer  Colonel 
Otis  had,  with  perfect  coolness;  and,  when  the  fight  was 
hottest,  as  one  almost  without  occupation.  He  seemed  a 
little  moved ;  and  I  never  shall  forget  the  light  of  victory  in 
his  eye,  as  the  boys  of  the  10th  gave  their  shouts  for  victory. 
He  thought  nothing  would  express  his  sentiments  so  well, 
just  at  that  tune,  as  '  Hail  Columbia,'  from  the  band. 

"At  Petersburg  he  was  detailed  by  General  Terry  as 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  the  brigade.  The 
regiment  had  three  field-officers,  and  he  could  be  spared. 
He  received  the  order  as  the  brigade  was  in  line,  ready  to 
move  across  the  James,  on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  New 
Market  Hights.  He  came  to  me  with  a  most  troubled  ex- 
pression of  countenance.  '  Colonel,'  said  he,  '  can  not  this 


330  THE    KNIGHTLY   SOLDIER. 

be  changed  ?  I  have  been  absent  from  my  regiment  so 
much  :  I  have  just  been  promoted,  and  we  are  now  going 
into  action.  It  will  not  do  for  me  to  be  away  from  my 
regiment.' 

"  He  could  not  rest  until  he  saw  the  general,  and  re- 
ceived permission  to  accompany  his  regiment. 

"Major  Camp's  modesty,  his  purity  and  simplicity  of 
character,  seemed  not  to  belong  to  one  of  his  years,  but 
rather  to  the  innocence  of  childhood.  Entirely  unconscious 
of  the  powers  he  possessed,  he  would  hardly  seek  responsi- 
bility; yet  he  was  not  the  man  to  turn  from  the  path  of 
duty  to  avoid  it.  The  only  question  in  his  mind  would  be, 
'  What  is  duty  ? '  But,  with  a  great  responsibility  thrown 
upon  him,  he  would  have  been  an  inspired  man,  and  equal 
to  any  emergency.  For  my  part,  I  believe  him  to  have  been 
as  good  a  man  —  as  good  in  head  and  heart  —  as  was  George 
Washington  in  his  youth,  or  David  when  he  kept  his  father's 
sheep  or  slew  Goliah. 

"  However  contrary  to  our  desires  the  manner  of  his 
death,  we  must  believe  that  it  was  best,  and  that  some  great 
good  will  come  of  it.  May  it  not  be  realized  in  the  pious 
labors  of  your  hands  in  giving  to  the  young  men  of  our 
country,  in  his  Life,  the  example  of  such  a  character  ? 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  chaplain, 

"  With  the  highest  regards, 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"H.  M.  PLAISTED, 
"  Col.  llth  Me.  and  Brevet  Brig.-Gen.  Comd'g  Brigade. 

"REV.   H.    C.    TUUMBULL, 

"  Chaplain  10th  Conii.  Vols." 


A    CHRISTIAN.  331 

Thus  closes  the  record  of  a  brief  and  beautiful  life. 
"All  of  us  who  were  about  him,"  said  a  college  friend, 
"perceived  that  Henry  Camp  was  a  Christian  who  fol- 
lowed Christ.  All  things  that  were  true,  honest,  just, 
pure,  lovely,  of  good  report,  shone  in  his  walks  and  con- 
versation among  us.  Not  more  pleasing  was  his  manly 
beauty  to  the  eye  than  was  his  piety  to  the  hearts  of  such 
as  communed  with  him."  "  True  always,"  adds  a  class- 
mate, "  and  faithful  unto  death,  the  sudden  stroke  that 
quenched  all  our  bright  hopes  for  his  future  opened  to 
him  a  new  life  of  nobler  aims  and  higher  services.  Such 
a  death  closes  such  a  life  with  all  fitness.  The  suddenness 
of  heroic  death  rivals  the  blessedness  of  translation.  No 
waste  of  energies,  no  sad  decay,  but  a  Christian  soul  rising 
to  heaven  while  the  heart  is  still  intense  with  the  fire  of 
purified  passion,  and  the  body  girt  for  battle." 


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Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


OCT  6     1949 

l  5 


C 

OCT  1  4 


-960 


Form  L9 — 15m-10, '48(31039)444 


E601   Trunbull  - 
C58T7  The  knightly 
soldier. 


A  001  157364  9 


E601 
C58T7 


